As part of its efforts to help Oyo State youths develop their skills in football, the state has entered into an agreement with a local academy to collaborate with English top football club, West Bromwich Albion in creating opportunities for budding talents in the state.
The programme, tagged Oyo State Football Talent Identification and Coaching Education Clinic 2020 with West Bromwich Albion, will hold from
January 6 to 11, 2020.
The youths will attend the programme free of charge, according to Ismail Ridwan Ayobami of Bestowed Grace Football Academy, who is coordinating the programme for Oyo State government.
He disclosed that the English Championship side would send two of their top coaching staff to Oyo State to scout for talents and conduct a coaching education clinic for the football coaches in the state during the one-week event.
Coach Bird Josh, a senior coach with UEFA B license and Coach Jones Mitchell Mark, also with UEFA B license, both double as recruitment managers for West Bromwich Albion, are expected to arrive in the country on the first week of 2020 for the programme that will be held inside the main-bowl of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba Ibadan.
The commissioner for Youths and Sports, Seun Fakorede, whose ministry is working with the private firm to actualize the one-week Football Development Programme, has assured other interested corporate organisations to join by the way of sponsorship or partnering the government.
“Our governor is a lover of sport and everything that can enhance and create wide spectrum for the realization of the dreams of the teeming youths in Oyo State, he has been demonstrating this since he assumed office. We can all notice this with the state’s darling team, 3SC that has been on a good stead for promotion back to where it belongs,” Seun Fakorede noted.
