‘FAB- 5-Football will produce new players’

THE age of concentrating energy on football competitions without taking cognizance of the players education and proper guidance appear to be over as two firms, Pet-Barnok Company and Sportsvision, in a partnership is organising an Under-13 FAB – 5 – Football Initiative for public primary schools pupils. 

  The tournament, which is in its third edition, is currently ongoing at the Agege Stadium, featuring 48 schools from six educational districts of 12 Local Government Areas.

  Project Manager, Dare Amokeodo, said the concept of the competition which was different from the usual grassroots football tournament in Nigeria, has three phases, a 5-A-side competition, scholarship and mentoring and football academy where players who are outstanding and possess leadership trait would be picked for scholarship and mentoring programme as well as exposing them to a well structured soccer schools.

 According to him, the programme will within a period of years add value to the lives of players discovered by providing educational materials and also exposing them to articulate mentoring programme with a foreign-based club. He added that a total of four pupils are entitled to scholarship and mentoring programme.

  In the matches played, 12 schools have qualified for the final phase.