By Anan Geolengs
No fewer than 800 young footballers from 15 academies are chasing a potential breakthrough as they participate in the ongoing ABT Football Academy Scouting Programme in Kwoi, Kaduna State.
The grassroots scouting programme, which commenced on Monday, is expected to end on Saturday.
Alhamdu Bala, Chairman of ABT Football Academy, expressed satisfaction with the turnout, describing the programme as a major opportunity for young footballers in Southern Kaduna.
“This is the first time we are organising such a grassroots scouting programme in Southern Kaduna, and the response has been very encouraging,” Bala said.
He said the academy was committed to creating opportunities for talented youngsters, especially those lacking access to established football development structures.
Bala appreciated Argentine International Scout, Marcelo Houseman, for supporting the initiative and travelling to Nigeria to identify emerging football talents.
“Marcelo’s presence has added tremendous value to this programme. We believe some of these young players can attract opportunities beyond Nigeria,” he said.
Houseman, a renowned Argentine football scout, said the scouting exercise had been fruitful, with more than 10 promising talents identified so far.
“The players we have discovered are very good, and some of them are eligible to play for the U-17 and U-20 national teams,” Houseman said.
He said he would discuss the discoveries with National U-17 Coach Manu Garba to ensure the talented players received an opportunity to showcase their abilities at the national level.
“I will speak with coach Manu Garba about these players because they deserve to be given an opportunity to play for the Golden Eaglets as well as the Flying Eagles,” he said.
Houseman said the exercise demonstrated the abundance of football talent in Nigeria and the importance of creating opportunities for young players to be identified.
“There are so many undiscovered talents across Africa. The continent is blessed with gifted footballers who only need the right opportunities,” Houseman said.
Houseman said his passion for grassroots football had taken him to several African countries in search of players capable of excelling at the highest level.
According to him, some of Africa’s biggest football stars were identified through similar scouting missions conducted over the years.
“I discovered Odion Ighalo when nobody knew him. I also found Kim Ojo and worked with players such as Obinna Nsofor, Solomon Okoronkwo, and Christian Ebere,” he said.
Houseman added that he also played roles in the careers of South African football greats Lucas Radebe, Doctor Khumalo, John Moshoeu, and Philemon Masinga.
“But my biggest discovery of all was Shabani Nonda. His rise to the top remains one of my proudest achievements in football scouting,” he said.
The Argentine scout said his primary objective in Nigeria was to identify talented youngsters capable of progressing from grassroots football to professional clubs abroad.
“I am in Nigeria to make new discoveries. There are future stars here waiting to be found, developed, and given the right opportunities,” Houseman said.
Houseman expressed optimism that the scouting programme would uncover another generation of African football stars capable of achieving international success.
“Every great player starts somewhere. My mission is to find those hidden talents and help them reach the level they deserve,” he said.
Alex Bature, ABT Academy coach, said the programme was designed to expose young players to quality assessment while providing opportunities to attract scouts’ attention.
“Our objective is to give these players a pathway. We want their talent to be seen, assessed, and developed in the right environment,” Bature said.
Bature said the participation of established football personalities had further motivated the players and generated excitement among football enthusiasts in the area.
He expressed confidence that the programme would produce players capable of progressing to professional clubs and national youth teams.
Meanwhile, the scouting programme is continuing, with players undergoing assessment by coaches and scouts from Nigeria and abroad.
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