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Former Super Eagles player and 1997 African Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba, has called for more grassroots football tournaments to produce more talent for Nigeria.
Ikpeba made the call on Friday at a press conference ahead of the Akogun football annual finals in Akure, held at Awka-Akoko in the Akoko Southwest area of Ondo State.
The 1994 Africa Cup of Nations champion said he was also a product of grassroots football, adding that football development should not be determined by the government alone.
Ikpeba also said that his teammates’ participation in the tournament in the past showed that the tournament was on the right track to unearth more talents in Nigeria.
“It is a privilege to be here in Akure, I am here to support what Akogun Gbenga Omole is doing, I think this is the sixth time, I am also a product of grassroots football.
“Personally, I believe that although I have stopped playing football, I am still involved in the sport of football.
“I am still a member of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), so our role is to support grassroots football.
“So when this distinguished gentleman contacted me and I saw what he had done over the past six years, I was very impressed and I thought there was no better way to give back to the community and see how these young boys and girls can be developed.
“I know people in Ondo State love football so I decided to come here and my teammates have also come here to support his cause,” Ikpeba said.
He also pledged his support for the initiative and said it was a privilege to be in Akoko.
“I want to commend him and I want to thank the governor, he met us yesterday and I want to thank the people of Ondo State, when we came here yesterday, it was peaceful,” the 1996 Olympic gold medalist said.
Organiser of the competition, Gbenga Omole, said the competition had produced more talent for local teams, with about five players already playing outside Nigeria.
Omole said that besides discovering talents, the competition was also held to promote unity and love, peace and progress among the youths.
He further stated that over the years, the likes of Ben Iroha, Dosu Joseph, Mutiu Adepoju and Peter Rufai had attended the event.
He said that as a football lover, he invested in football before joining politics and he saw football as a way to implement youth empowerment programs and also unite the youth.
“Their presence and the efforts of other football scouts have borne fruit and we have exported talented players to clubs and teams outside our state.
“Soccer is big business globally, with revenues exceeding $4 billion in 2023 and expected to grow to $5.65 billion by 2031; we want to be a part of it.
“With proper nurturing, the talents discovered in this competition can become stars that will make an impact on their families and communities,” he said.
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