Football: Pepsi Academy raises children from streets to stadium, says Coach
Football: Pepsi Academy raises children from streets to stadium, says Coach
Coach John Stephen of the Pepsi Academy in Aba says the academy’s main goal is to help aspiring players from the city’s streets become professional footballers.
Stephen told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that the academy, which was established in November 1992 to develop young football talent, had centres across the country.
He noted that the Aba centre was one of their locations in the Eastern part of Nigeria.
According to Stephen, scouting for new players is made easy through a registration process that requires parents’ consent.
“This kids are from different places not only from Aba; some of them are from Port Harcourt and their parents brings them here and take them home after the training”.
The coach said their training takes place on Saturdays of every week, because of academic session.
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Stephen said his dream was to see the kids in bigger clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and others in the future and also in Nigeria clubs like Enyimba.
He advised parents to avail themselves the opportunity of taking their kids and children away from bad peer groups during weekend and holidays.
The coach noted that the Aba centre had produced notable players like Onyekachi Apam, Onyekachi Opara, Onyekachi Okonkwo and others.
VMT NEWS reports that some former Super Eagles players like Mikel Obi, Osaze Odewingie, Elderson Echiejile are all products of Pepsi Football Academy.
