By Franklin Onwubiko

History is being set today somewhere in Lagos State Nigeria as the fastest rising club side in the Nigeria Premiership Football League, FC Ifeanyi Ubah is hosting the prestigious London based partners, the West Ham United FC.

This great partnership between FCIU and West Ham United is a step in the right direction set to place the privately owned club side on a higher pedestal in her quest to becoming a continental name as far as the round leather game is concerned.

This particular partnership has set in motion a paradigm shift in the Nigerian sports sector especially where it concerns football. This would not have been possible except for the foresightedness of a man who has transcended all barriers in not just identifying his passion but also living it to the fullest.

Top executives at West Ham United led by the Managing Director, Angus Kinnear and President of FC Ifeanyi Ubah, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah will today Wednesday, unveil the blueprint that will streamline the hunt for the next Nigerian superstar after the likes of the celebrated football icons like Maradona, Pele, Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo amongst numerous others.

The project which has been designed to identify and nurture talented Nigerian kids within the age range of 6 and 15 years, is billed to kick off in December with coaches and scouts of West Ham United in regular attendance to offer technical support throughout the duration of the project.

The successful kids will further be enrolled into the prestigious Ifeanyi Ubah football academy; this is geared towards harnessing their talents, hence providing a handful of talented players for West Ham United to pick from quarterly.

Earlier in August, FC Ifeanyi Ubah signed a long term partnership with West Ham United with a view of championing a good number of football-related projects.

Speaking to newsmen at the weekend in Lagos, Dr. Ubah explained the aim of the ‘Talent Hunt Programme’ and how that will metamorphose to a football Academy run by both West Ham United FC and FC Ifeanyi Ubah.

According to Dr. Ubah, the unveiling of the historic partnership is premised on football development with the discovery of future football stars in a country so rich in football talents waiting to be harnessed top on the priority list.

In his words, "West Ham are known to have one of the best academies in the world having produced players like Sir Trevor Brooking, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick to mention but a few and they are eager to identify and handpick talented African players that they can develop. The search for the next Lampard, Payet, Kanu and Okocha just begun and we believe this talent hunt will help us achieve our goal”.

It is expected that more details on the next level of the collaboration between FC Ifeanyi Ubah and West Ham FC will be unveiled today in Lagos and tomorrow in Nnewi, the hometown of the oil mogul.

It will not be long before Nigeria will return to her glorious days in football which is unarguably a viable and money spinning sector today if well harnessed. Thanks to the foresightedness and pragmatic approach to issues by the CEO Capital Oil and Gas, Dr. Ubah whose ingenuity as it concerns sports development in Nigeria and Africa is unparalleled. Indigenes of Anambra state which is the home state of this change agent and the primary benefactors of his change initiative should brace up and key into the vision of this great man.

It is no news that the spirit of oneness and happiness which the game of football breathes is gradually creeping into the state as has been witnessed in the home games of FCIU. The massive games village currently under construction has even before completion turned to a tourist site as the place becomes over crowded during the home matches of the fast rising NPFL side.

Parents should encourage their talented wards to key into this life changing opportunity this historic partnership breeds.

Franklin Onwubiko, writes from Daura, Katsina State.

More pictures @
http://www.franklynonwubiko.com/2016/10/ifeanyi-ubah-fc-vs-west-ham-united-when.html

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