Olawale Ajimotokan
11 November 2009
Lagos — Basking in the euphoria of the successful hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Ogun State government is now proposing a football academy for the Gateway International Stadium, Ijebu Ode.
Ijebu-Ode, a local government base earned a place in the folks-lore when it featured as the only non capital city to host the on going U-17 World Cup tournament.
Ogun State Commissioner for Sports and Youth, Hon Bukola Olopade disclosed at the winding up of the Ijebu Ode Subseat of the LOC Nigeria 2009 that plans were in top gear to set up a football academy in the town.
He said the academy would put Ijebu Ode in the limelight as it is one of the strategic ways through which the impressive stadium will be put into constant use after the World Cup finals.
Olopade said that the football academy will take off before February next year.
"Life wont be the same again for the youths in Ijebu Ode as the World Cup effect will rub on them. Next year we plan to set up a world class academy here through Public Private Partnership initiative. We have several proposals on the table on the project. International governing body, FIFA has also given us hints on how we can go about the project. This is a challenge to other South West states to improve their facilities and develop the youths" Olopade said.
Ijebu Ode hosted three matches at the U-17 World Cup--USA vs UAE, Argentina vs Colombia and Switzerland vs Italy-while the stadium was filled to capacity in each instance.
With the Premier League matches involving Gateway football club Abeokuta consistently failing to draw the crowd, Olopade hinted that the state might relocate the team to Ijebu Ode as the World Cup is already an eye opener.
The chairman LOC Ijebu Ode sub-seat, Rotimi George said that it is possible for development to be taken to grassroots with the Ijebu Ode experience as people were surprised that the world football event took place in the town.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2009 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
please i will like you to inform me when the academy is ready i will like to join the academy i am from Nigeria and a young talented footballer. i am just 14 yrs old and i want to spend the rest of my career as a footballer because that has being my dream.i need profession training form your academy please and please kindly let me know when it is fully establish thank you and GOD bless you sir.my email is aylive022002@gmail.com
please i will like you to inform me when the academy is ready i will like to join the academy i am from Nigeria and a young talented footballer. i am just 14 yrs old and i want to spend the rest of my career as a footballer because that has being my dream.i need profession training form your academy please and please kindly let me know when it is fully establish thank you and GOD bless you sir.