Mike Pius
Founder and owner of Aspire Football Club (AFC) of Adazi Nnukwu, Emeka Okeke, has reiterated his commitment to football development in Anambra State.
He said this at the U-15 screening exercise organised by Aspire FC to pick players that will represent Anambra State during the next stage at the national level before the final selection ahead of the competition in Bayern Munich, Germany, in 2020 Youth challenge.
The final 14 players who will represent Anambra State at the national finals in Lagos emerged from the 40 that participated in the trials at the Neros stadium Nanka.
Speaking after their selection, the project coordinator of Anambra State screening board of Bayern Munich Youth Cup 2020, Ikechukwu Al Barney Amaku, said the essence of the exercise is to provide opportunity for minors in the game to gain valuable exposure towards playing in the national team.
Amaku said Bayern Munich Youth Cup is an annual tournament organised in Munich, Germany. He added that the competition is strictly for teenagers who are below the age of 16.
Okeke, who single handedly built Aspire FC to regional champions, said that he has plans for developing grassroots football in the state. He said that it is high time clubs in the state came together to present a formidable force in Nigerian football and ensure that Anambra State has a club in each of the national leagues divisions in the country.
On why Aspire FC takes up the challenge to sponsor the exercise, he said it is in tandem with what the Aspire FC has been doing for social development.
He said: “We discovered that there are a lot of young and talented youngsters in the villages who football is their future. And for the young boys, we want to provide the opportunities for them to come together, train and showcase their talents.”
“We have bigger dreams for them as we are hoping that somebody from among them will make the next Nigeria U-17 team in future. Some of them have the potential to be successful in the game, even outside the shores of Nigeria where they can do greater things for their families and the country.”