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DALUNG APPLAUDS IFEANYI UBAH’S 1 FAMILY 1 FOOTBALLER PROJECT

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BY NNEKA IKEM ANIBEZE.

Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung has applauded Chief Ifeanyi Ubah for his initiative for the Project 1 Family 1 Footballer (1F1F) he organized on Saturday in Moscow through the Africa Football Revolution Initiative. The Project is expected to produce one million football stars.

Chief  Ifeanyi Ubah presenting a football to CAF President, Ahmad.

The event held at Lotto Hotel in Moscow had in attendance, the CAF President, Ahmad as well as some chieftains of FIFA and football associations across Africa.

In a media release from the offices of the sports minister, Dalung remarked that he is optimistic that Nigeria can become a global force in football and ultimately win the FIFA World Cup if football stakeholders can emulate the initiatives of Chief Ubah, the Anambra State Football Association’s Chairman.

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Drawing inspirations from the World Cup success of a young French team which won the 2018 in Russia on Sunday, Dalung said the Project 1 Family 1 Footballer (1F1F ) is the fastest route to unearth raw talents and nurture them to global stardom.

“We have so many talents that can be the future George Weah, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew,  Mikel Obi, Nwankwo Kanu, Pierre Aubemayang and Mohamed Salah if given the opportunity.

“When I heard about the initiative, I became so excited because finally, our young ones have hope of a better future through this great initiative already endorsed by FIFA and CAF.”

Dalung congratulated and thanked the business mogul who donated one million footballs to African children and has continued to invest heavily in sports for the next generation, through football,  for his consistent and unwavering faith in Nigerian youths and recently the African continent.

The Minister said initiatives like these will not only  provide the needed opportunity for the African child, but will provide a platform for their talents to be harnessed and exported to the world.

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“History of more than half of the players who won the trophy for France have been traced back to Africa.

“Families of these players moved away from Africa in search of better living conditions and the enabling environment to succeed which France readily provided.

“If we get our acts right, who says Nigeria or a country from Africa cannot challenge for the World Cup in the next four to eight years after Ghana came close in 2014 in South Africa?” Dalung queried.

He enjoined other well meaning Nigerians and corporate organizations to partner with governments at all levels and laudable initiatives such as these to build a country that Nigerians home and abroad will be proud of.

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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