5 European Clubs' Football Academies in Nigeria - Link Up for Further Inquiries

In the coming years, more European clubs are likely to establish a football academy or a kind of feeder team here in Nigeria and the reason is clear

Nigeria's Golden Eaglets success  in winning the bi-annual FIFA U17 World Cup five time in 36 years is a clear indications that there are large number of raw talents in this most populous black country of the world.

 Nigeria's  cadet national team recently won  the U17 World cup back to back in 2013 and 2015.... and some top European  teams quickly selected great talents like Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali to Manchester city, Isaac Success to Granada, Taiwo Awoniyi to Liverpool... then Kelechi Nwakali to Arsenal, Victor Osimhen to Frankfurt, Musa Mohammed to Bremen... And  all are doing well.

 Kelechi Iheanacho  Alex Iwobi, Chuba Akpom and Isaac Success... has been an instant success and a good buy for the European clubs.

But with FIFA regulations on the transfer of minors, some top European teams thought it's better to take the talent hunt project into the country. Here are the five European clubs that has established a feeders team or a standard football academy here in Nigeria.

In case you are a young talented footballer and you are looking at how you can join any of these European clubs academy here in Nigeria, don't worry we will provide you with their location so can go and make further inquiries.

1. FC Barcelona of Spain named their Football Academy in Nigeria FC Bescola International Football School. The academy is temporarily located at the Teslim Balogun Stadium; opposite the former national stadium Surulere Lagos...

Deji Tinubu is currently running the administratively end now. You can inquire about the academy at the Lagos State Football Assocation office at the stadium complex.

FC Bescola recently conducted and open try out in Lagos in September 2016, where they admitted academy players between the ages of 6 and 18 years olds.


2. Paris Saint Germain (PSG) of  France named their football academy in Nigeria Carat24 football Academy. The Academy will fully take off in December 2016 and their proposed location is the Gateway Stadium Abeokuta in Ogun state.

Tony Ifeanyi Onwubiko is the owner of iruka.com, the online musical mall that signed partnership with PSG management.  Interested players can contact Iruka.com or Lagos Airport Hotel and Resort office at the Muritala Muhammad Airport complex Ikeja Lagos

Carat24 Academy will be admitting players between the ages of 5 and 17years olds. And this is best time for you to enrol now.


3 West Ham FC, an English Premiership team has a partnership with IfeanyiUba Football Academy in Anambra state...to provide system and structures as well technical support for the Academy. And to be fully involved in a continuous  nationwide talent hunt project that can be benefical to the London based club.

The academy which also serves as a feeder team for the high riding Nigeria Professional Football League team Ifeanyi Uba FC, will be intermittently sending outstanding players to London for try out in West Ham.

Dr. Ifeanyi Uba, the billionaire owner of Nnewi based team is one that brought in West Ham to be part the IfeanyiUba fc vertical integration and business expansion.


IfeanyiUba football Academy is located at the Ifeanyi Uba Stadium Umudim, few miles  away from  the Onitisha commercial city. Make further inquiry in the club office at the stadium complex... and admits players between the ages of 5 to 15 years olds for the project.


4. Bolton Wanderers, another English team have a long standing partnership with the City Of David (COD) FC when they were still in the Premier League... The relationship which Austin Jay Jay Okocha helped brokered then for the Redeem Christian Church in  2007, have been very beneficial to Nigerian players.

Seven players, Samuel Vincent, Joshua Olaegbe and Lydon Odiah, Olabisi Daodu, Azeez Adeoye, Peter Folrunsho and Biyi Oshilaja, who were selected at an earlier camp held in April will depart the shores of Nigeria in November for direct transfer to Bolton's Youth team.

COD is the only club in Nigeria that runs a structure of 6 football teams; U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16, U-21, and First team. A Technical Director oversees the entire football structure while the various designated coaches manage the teams.

The various teams train at different times at Onikan Stadium Lagos Island, but club has an office at City of David, The Redeem Christian Church of God, Lagos Island.


5. Midtjylland FC, a Demark elite league club has FC Ebiede as it's feeder team in Nigeria. FC Ebiede is in the Nationwide league and has been a place of grooming talents for the past 20years or so.

FC Ebiede is managed by Nigeria's renowned player's manager, Churchill Oliseh... the elder brother of former Super Eagles head coach and captain Sunday Oliseh.

FC Ebiede is renowned for discovering Obafemi Martins, one of Nigeria's successful striker now plays in Shanghai FC China. FC Ebiede has transferred over 65 players to Midtjylland and other European clubs... the players includes: Rilwan Hassan, Sylvester Igboun, Babajide David...

FC Ebiede trains at Honda place Sango Ota in Ogun state and play their matches at the Gateway stadium Abiokuta... We are not sure if the team has any administrative office... Maybe, at Churchill's personal office in Lekki and Festac town Lagos.