It was pomp and football at it’s finest as Diamond Football Academy (DFA), held the 2019 edition of her annual Diamond Youth Soccer tournament.
The three day tournament held at the DFA stadium Lodu Ndume, Umuahia, drew football scouts from Manchester, Belgium as well as others from Europe to Abia State.
Speaking at the event, Diamond Football Academy president, Hon. Martin Ikechukwu Apugo promised to do more in order to give upcoming stars the opportunity to excel in Nigeria’s National Teams and in Europe.
Apugo, is instrumental to the emergence of some young players, including Samuel Chukwueze, who is with the Super Eagles in Egypt for the 2019 AFCON tournament and Kelechi Nwakali, who captained Nigeria’s U-17 team to win the 2015 Cadet World Cup in Chile.
A project started selflessly with no intentions of making out gains,Apugo revealed it wasn’t for business purposes but to watch good football and appreciate God’s giving talents,hence the idea of an arena where the boys he love watching will gather to play football. ”I have no regrets because it is my passion to develop talents,in Diamond Academy,we have coaches who came from Europe and Nigeria National Team”. “You have no excuse to perform even at the world Football stage as a player”, Apugo said.
Meanwhile, Manchester United scout ,Jonny Pieters,while presenting the gift items to some of the players,lauded the level of progress and impact of the Academy ,in terms of capacity building.