Veteran sports journalist and former SportsDay newspaper editor Sam O’Femi Fasetire has unveiled plans to establish a grassroots football initiative to nurture young talent in rural communities across Nigeria, starting with Osu, his hometown in Osun State.
In an interview on Thursday, Fasetire—fondly known as ‘Eagle Eye’ during his time at Complete Sports and ‘The Speed Tongue’ while at Brila FM—said the project, titled “Football For Rural Children,” will operate as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and will be headquartered in Osu, the administrative seat of Atakunmosa West Local Government.
To ensure the success of the initiative, Fasetire revealed that he plans to relocate permanently to Osu by the end of June.
“I’ve envisioned taking youth football to another level by returning to my roots. After my work with the National Grassroots Dream Team and Community Action Through Sport in Lagos, I’m convinced we can replicate that success in rural areas,” he said.
He explained that the new venture will kick off in partnership with Atakunmosa West Local Government and expressed openness to both corporate sponsorship and international collaboration to scale the project beyond its local beginnings.
“We’re engaging contacts across various sectors to secure financial, technical, and manpower support. Our goal is to put Osu and other rural communities on the global football map,” Fasetire stated.
He added that the team is reaching out to football clubs, player agents, scouts, and stakeholders from industries such as entertainment, banking, oil, politics, and social media to support the cause and help propel young talents into the spotlight.
Fasetire also highlighted Osu’s historical contributions to Nigerian football, noting that the town has produced former Super Eagles players like Ebenezer Ojo and Ebenezer Oluwafemi Ajilore, a Beijing 2008 Olympic silver medalist, as well as other footballers like Dare Ojo and Gabriel Ojimi. Popular singer Saint Janet also hails from the town.
“We intend to draw inspiration from these individuals and appoint them as ambassadors of the project. With their success stories, we aim to inspire and elevate a new generation of football stars from Osu and beyond,” he concluded.
