Football excitement is set to sweep through Ilesa as the town prepares to host the maiden edition of the Summer Holiday Football Training Camp from August 4 to 29, under the banner of the El-Roi International Football Academy.

According to Coach Siji Lagunju, a former Nigerian international and one of the program’s organisers, the initiative aims to nurture and harness grassroots football talent among boys and girls in Ilesa and neighbouring communities.

The training will be segmented into three age categories:

• 8 to 12 years,
• 12 to 15 years, and
• Under-17 (U-17).

Coach Lagunju, a CAF Pro License holder and former Deputy National Technical Director at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), explained that the programme is tailored for youngsters aspiring to pursue football as a career. Participants will receive expert guidance from a handpicked team of experienced coaches.

“We are putting together this Summer Football Training in order to encourage the development of raw talents from the grassroots in Ilesa and its environs,” said Lagunju, who was known for his dazzling dribbling skills in his playing days.

Lagunju’s illustrious career spanned several prominent Nigerian clubs including IICC Shooting Stars, the defunct Leventis United, International Breweries (Ilesa), Bendel Insurance, Iwuanyanwu Nationale, and Stationery Stores.

He emphasized the affordability and value of the training camp, stating:

“For as little as Ten Thousand Naira, children who enrol will be put through the rudiments of the game — and so much more.”

Calling on parents to support their children’s dreams, Lagunju added:

“Part of my calling is the discovery of raw talents, and I want to use this opportunity to urge parents in Ilesa to bring their wards. They won’t regret it.”

The El-Roi International Football Academy’s summer initiative is expected to attract young football enthusiasts from across Osun State, turning Ilesa into a hive of youthful sporting energy throughout the month of August.

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President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, on Monday evening seized the opportunity to further salute President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering dedication to motivating and encouraging Nigeria’s living sports heroes and never forgetting to pay homage to those who have passed on.

“Mr. President has taken the bull by the horns to abolish the era when the nation’s sports heroes laboured in vain. Their sweat is now well-rewarded as deserved.

“I take cues from the honours and gifts handed to the Super Eagles when they finished as runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations last year, and to the Super Falcons who just returned from winning the Women’s AFCON in Morocco.

“Our heroes deserve all the recognition, appreciation and celebration that we can give them, whether they are alive or dead. That is the culture that we should birth and nurture,” Gusau said at the Night of Tributes organised for Nigeria’s sports icons at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Lagos on Monday night.

The event, which was put together by Air Peace airline (whose chairman, Allen Onyema, has continued to show interest in the well-being of former Nigerian sports heroes) and former Nigeria captain Olusegun Odegbami (a relentless advocate of the recognition and proper appreciation of the nation’s sporting icons), paid tributes to former Nigeria captains ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu and Peter Rufai, former internationals Charles Bassey and Moses Effiong, and boxing champion Obisia Nwakpa, who all passed on within the past few months.

“People talk about the neglect of our sporting heroes, but we can see that President Tinubu is changing the narrative. When the Eagles won silver medals at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire early last year, Mr. President rewarded the team handsomely. 

“We can all see what he has done for the Super Falcons for winning the WAFCON in Morocco,” Gusau said, in a speech read on his behalf by a Member of the NFF Executive Committee, George Aluo.

The NFF boss was also full of praise for the trio of Air Peace boss, Allen Onyema, Olusegun Odegbami and the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Professor Eghosa Osaghae, for putting together the Night of Tributes for the departed legends.

“I salute all those who have deemed it fit to honour ‘Chairman’ Chukwu and the other legends. These legends did Nigeria proud in their different lifetimes. They were warriors. They defended our colours, inspired our youth and lifted our spirits. We will never forget their amazing contributions to Nigerian football.”

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A Nigerian real estate firm, Jedo Investment Company Ltd, has rewarded Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and reigning African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman with plots of land in Abuja in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Nigerian football.

The gifted plots, each measuring 400 square metres, are located within the Jedo Mega Estate in Ushafa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

In a letter signed by the company’s General Manager for Human and Business Relations, Anthony Onwuma, Jedo Investment expressed admiration for Nnadozie’s heroics at the just-concluded 13th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, where Nigeria reclaimed the continental crown.

“Your efforts not only helped secure the championship but also served as a shining example of dedication and excellence for millions of Nigerians and football lovers around the world,” the company wrote in its commendation to Nnadozie, who was named Best Goalkeeper of the tournament and retained her title as Africa’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

Lookman, whose exploits with the Super Eagles at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire and stellar form with Serie A side Atalanta earned him the CAF African Player of the Year award, was also praised by the company for his consistency and professionalism.

“Your outstanding performance, resilience, and excellence on the pitch have not only brought immense pride to Nigeria but have also cemented your position as one of the finest in the world today,” Jedo stated.

 “Your achievement is a testament to hard work, discipline, and an unyielding commitment to excellence—values that resonate deeply with our brand.”

As a further show of appreciation, both Nnadozie and Lookman have been appointed Brand Ambassadors for Jedo Investment Company Ltd.

Nnadozie’s international profile continues to rise, with her impressive performances in Europe over the past three seasons reinforcing her reputation as one of the best shot-stoppers in women’s football.

Lookman, meanwhile, has become a symbol of elite-level Nigerian footballers excelling on the global stage.

The gesture by Jedo Investment underscores a growing trend of corporate recognition for athletes making Nigeria proud on the international scene.

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