Samuel Elijah, MON, Saudi 89 Hero and current technical director, Kwara Football Academy, KFA, has advised governments to take keener interest in the transactional aspect of player transfers to reap immense dividends from soccer.
Speaking specifically about KFA in Ilorin on Wednesday during a news forum called Sports Hard Talk put together by Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, he said that the soccer academy is capable of generating more revenue for the state if it’s talented players are sponsored on foreign trip to Europe for trials and transfers.
KFA, formerly known as College of Football and Excellence has Produced players who are currently plying their trade in major European and domestic leagues.
The technical director of academy urged government, not only in Kwara State, but elsewhere where the states have stakes in the grooming of players.
He also spoke glowingly of Mallam Ibrahim Bako, the administrator of KFA, who was the key feature of the first series of Sports Hard Talk.
He said that the academy has witnessed positive turn around, coaches have attended training and retraining, qualified teachers for the school as well as exposing the academy to local and national championship”
“We only need the attention of the state government to harness the potential of our players in Europe through sponsorship to Europe for marketing,” he stated.
