Nigerian youngster Nefeye Osazee has signed his first professional contract with Premier League club AFC Bournemouth, marking a major milestone in his football career.

Osazee began his structured football development with CitySports in Lagos in 2017 at the age of six, training regularly and featuring in the CitySports League.

He moved to England in 2022 and continued his development with Slough Town before joining Arsenal’s academy in 2023 following a successful trial spell.

He reportedly scored 10 goals in nine matches during the trial.

After moving to England in 2022, Osazee continued playing with Slough Town before attracting interest from leading English clubs. Following a successful trial period, during which he reportedly scored 10 goals in nine matches, he joined Arsenal’s academy in 2023. Pulse Sports Nigeria.

He subsequently spent three years within Arsenal’s Hale End academy before joining AFC Bournemouth ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Osazee has taken the next significant step by signing his first professional contract with Bournemouth. For Shola Opaleye, Founder and CEO of CitySports Group, the moment carries particular significance because he remembers Osazee long before the Arsenal and Bournemouth shirts.

Photographs from those early years show a young Osazee training in CitySports colours and receiving a development certificate from Opaleye.

Opaleye said: “When Nefeye joined us, he was just a young boy who loved football. Nobody can tell exactly where a six-year-old’s journey will eventually lead, so at that stage our responsibility was simply to give him a good environment to learn, develop and enjoy the game.

“To see that same young boy progress to Arsenal and now sign his first professional contract with AFC Bournemouth is very special. We are proud of him, proud of his family and proud that CitySports was part of the early chapter of his journey.”

Opaleye stressed that Osazee’s progression also demonstrates why youth football development should be viewed as a long-term process rather than a race to secure professional contracts at an early age.

He added, “Nefeye’s story has taken years. CitySports was one part of that journey, Arsenal was another, his family has played an enormous role, and many coaches and people have contributed along the way.

“That is what development looks like. No academy should promise a child a professional contract. What we can promise is to work seriously on their development, create the right environment and help prepare them so that when opportunities come, they are ready.”

Osazee’s achievement comes as CitySports prepares to expand its athlete-development programmes in 2027 under its Develop → Compete → Progress pathway.

For Opaleye, however, the immediate focus remains on celebrating the player, adding that, “This moment belongs to Nefeye and his family. Signing your first professional contract is a major achievement, but it is also the beginning of another level of work. We will continue to follow his journey and support him from afar. Once CitySports, always CitySports.”