Officials of the Mile 2 Army Barracks in Lagos have confirmed their love for football by throwing the military base’s gates open for a youth club to train there regularly.
The new team, fondly called Sharp Talents, is the brainchild of a young former winger, James Ovie Emmanuel, who said he wants to put something back into the system that produced him.
Although the product of the National Grassroots Dream Team could not make it big in the round leather game, he is happy with the impact he is making in producing tomorrow’s stars.
While confirming that the official name of the project is Emmanuel Football Foundation, the youngster revealed that his target is to give them something they cannot gain elsewhere.
He expatiated by stating that he will bring to bear on the project a perfect administrative structure and presentation of the proper paperwork for the players.
Towards achieving those aims, Emmanuel has already reached out to some of his colleagues and mentors, as he finally moves closer to full-fledged activities.
For now, though, Emmanuel is content with the few hours of training he gets with his wards every weekend at the barracks.
He concluded by eulogising the military base’s management for accommodating him and his wards every time they turn up for training.
He expressed optimism that the project will grow in leaps and bounds, in order to contribute to the enhanced production of future stars for Nigeria.
Emmanuel concluded: “I’m pushing some kids that show interest in taking football very seriously as their career.
“We need guidance and advice regarding management structure and paperwork for them.
“It’s called Emmanuel Football Foundation. We also have a slang name and the tag is Sharp Talents.
“We use Mile 2 Barracks’ training pitch on weekends. We are grateful for the assistance that they are giving us.”
