Exclusive: Bruedent Football Academy takes football development to the grassroots
By Kikekon Manoah
Bruedent football club and academy was established in 2014, located at Agboju Lagos state. An initiative to discover, develop and explore football talent at the grass root level. Helping young stars to achieve their career goal. Serving as bridge connecting young talents to their greatest peak. Bruedent FC has achieved a lot in short time, producing players that has represented various academy and football clubs here in Nigeria and abroad.
In an exclusive interview with News Proof, Ojelowo Alli Abiodun the CEO said “Looking at Nigeria’s Super Eagle, they have not been performing well lately because they are average players. Many of them do not have the opportunity to develop themselves at the grass root level, which is affecting their career today. Compare to their counterpart in Europe and other parts of the world”.
“From history, the team that represented Nigeria at the U.S.A. 1994 world cup will always remain in the memories of Nigerians because they are world class football players who were developed from grass root clubs, players like Uche Okachukwu, Jay Jay Okocha and Rashidi Yekini who holds the unbroken title of highest goal scorer for Nigeria till date. The players we have today are not talented enough to represent Nigeria in international level”.
“Nigeria has dropped in FIFA ranking just because of the poor performance of the Nigerian Super Eagle, but if government should invest in grass root football, Nigeria will be able to meet up with so many other countries. If the government can invest in football at the grass root levels Nigeria too can provide good professional footballers in future, that would make the nation gain her rightful place in football”.
He further said “It is the duty N.F.F to organize football competition at grass root level where all football academies and local football clubs would be beneficiary. On the part of Lagos state Football Association, they are trying but it’s not enough. They should organize competition involving all the grass root football clubs in Lagos state. All the previous tournaments have been monopolized to few clubs”.
“We have discovered and developed young talents in Nigeria, helping them further their career in football. Bruedent F.C players have represented various football clubs such as Yobo f.c. at the F.A. cup in Nigeria, Nilayo f.c. at the Nigeria amateur football league. We provided players for Nigerian football team at the grass root level, which is the Golden Eaglet. Many of my players have been invited to Under 17 Golden Eaglet camp where they were able to showcase their talents”.
“We warn so many tournaments around Lagos, as the CEO I have singlehandedly organized various tournaments for football academy in Lagos state where various football stars has participated. We have engaged our players in various youth empowerment, we made sure that both genders are beneficial of our empowerment, one of the beneficiaries is Ruth Ogana who was just signed for Royal Queen F.C in Warri few months ago”.
“On my part I have tried as much as I can to develop various talent, I have successfully organized seven tournaments, all F.C’s around Agboju has benefited from this. In other to improve grass root F.C Lagos state and Nigeria need to organize tournament involving all the grass root F.C which should b replicated in both state and national level”.
He concluded the interview with word of advice to other grass root football teams saying, they should not relent they will definitely get reward for their good works one day.
By Kikekon Manoah
Bruedent football club and academy was established in 2014, located at Agboju Lagos state. An initiative to discover, develop and explore football talent at the grass root level. Helping young stars to achieve their career goal. Serving as bridge connecting young talents to their greatest peak. Bruedent FC has achieved a lot in short time, producing players that has represented various academy and football clubs here in Nigeria and abroad.
In an exclusive interview with News Proof, Ojelowo Alli Abiodun the CEO said “Looking at Nigeria’s Super Eagle, they have not been performing well lately because they are average players. Many of them do not have the opportunity to develop themselves at the grass root level, which is affecting their career today. Compare to their counterpart in Europe and other parts of the world”.
“From history, the team that represented Nigeria at the U.S.A. 1994 world cup will always remain in the memories of Nigerians because they are world class football players who were developed from grass root clubs, players like Uche Okachukwu, Jay Jay Okocha and Rashidi Yekini who holds the unbroken title of highest goal scorer for Nigeria till date. The players we have today are not talented enough to represent Nigeria in international level”.
“Nigeria has dropped in FIFA ranking just because of the poor performance of the Nigerian Super Eagle, but if government should invest in grass root football, Nigeria will be able to meet up with so many other countries. If the government can invest in football at the grass root levels Nigeria too can provide good professional footballers in future, that would make the nation gain her rightful place in football”.
He further said “It is the duty N.F.F to organize football competition at grass root level where all football academies and local football clubs would be beneficiary. On the part of Lagos state Football Association, they are trying but it’s not enough. They should organize competition involving all the grass root football clubs in Lagos state. All the previous tournaments have been monopolized to few clubs”.
“We have discovered and developed young talents in Nigeria, helping them further their career in football. Bruedent F.C players have represented various football clubs such as Yobo f.c. at the F.A. cup in Nigeria, Nilayo f.c. at the Nigeria amateur football league. We provided players for Nigerian football team at the grass root level, which is the Golden Eaglet. Many of my players have been invited to Under 17 Golden Eaglet camp where they were able to showcase their talents”.
“We warn so many tournaments around Lagos, as the CEO I have singlehandedly organized various tournaments for football academy in Lagos state where various football stars has participated. We have engaged our players in various youth empowerment, we made sure that both genders are beneficial of our empowerment, one of the beneficiaries is Ruth Ogana who was just signed for Royal Queen F.C in Warri few months ago”.
“On my part I have tried as much as I can to develop various talent, I have successfully organized seven tournaments, all F.C’s around Agboju has benefited from this. In other to improve grass root F.C Lagos state and Nigeria need to organize tournament involving all the grass root F.C which should b replicated in both state and national level”.
He concluded the interview with word of advice to other grass root football teams saying, they should not relent they will definitely get reward for their good works one day.
