Premiership giant, Chelsea, is planning to open a multi-million Naira football academy in Lagos. The club's Nigerian representative, Noah Olivier and President Soccer Africa Sports Management, Dominic Egbukwu, disclosed to Daily Sunsports that the camp would be sited on Victoria Island, Lagos, and would serve as Chelsea's breeding ground for promising young Nigerian players.

Said he: “Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa have been picked in Africa by Chelsea FC for its academy camp. My French partner, Olivier, and I have been mandated by Chelsea to take charge of the camp in Nigeria. Initially, they were scared of including Nigeria because of the Boko Haram issue, but we succeeded in convincing them that there was no cause for alarm in Lagos.

“We are expecting a 10-man Chelsea delegation from England any moment from now. They want to come and make inspection before giving us the go-ahead to throw the camp open. “It's going to be a big camp and it will admit about 500 youths between 15 and 18 years old. After screening which will hold at the National Stadium, Lagos, arrangements will be made for the feeder teams of the teams such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and PSG to come for invitational tournaments. The outstanding players among the the trainees will be given an opportunity to join the Chelsea youth team in England, just like they picked Kenneth Omeruo.”

Meanwhile, Egbukwu has made a passionate appeal to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to flush out the bad eggs involved in transfer of Nigerian players abroad. “Most of the so-called FIFA-licenced agents are responsible for frustrating our players. I'm not a FIFA agent and I don't want to be because I discovered that most of them use their licences to deceive players, promise them heaven and earth and at the end of the day, they would tie them down with contract papers and stay on top of the deal for their own selfish interest.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/sportsonthehour/2012/feb/20/sportsbreak-20-02-2012-001.html

Nice move

Hope green Nigeria colour will not turn to blue.

Is nice

@ odiaero:
Trust naija style, this will turn to highest bidder dad gets his kid selected.

Bros nawa for u o!

Nice move by chelsea. Keep it up. I hope corrupt people will not see this as another way to enrich themselves through unsuspecting footballer wannabes

15-18years?

14-25 more like it

did they say VI? How? Where in VI? Maybe Atlantic City. Just thinking aloud sha

why they no go brazil? who sabi play ball for naija again?

Great dev. I hope our govt won't make them run away like they did 2 Guiness n co.

Oh Is Awesome, When Is The Screening Exercise Starting.

@ kbdrim:
why they no go brazil? who sabi play ball for naija again?

U c ur life? Look at way u talk u cockamamie

victorazy:

@ kbdrim:
why they no go brazil? who sabi play ball for naija again?

U c ur life? Look at way u talk u cockamamie

iDIOTA, NA QUESTION I ASK, WHO SABI PLAY BALL FOR NAIJA?, NOTHING WILL COME OUT OF IT, ALL NA JOB

nice move by chelsea fc.
pls when will arsene wenger, a.k.a 'baba ijebu' open his own academy in naija! lol  

Go chelsea! go chelsea!! go chelsea!!! Blue is d colour.

Mpetempe:

Oh Is Awesome, When Is The Screening Exercise Starting.

u won go join after u don finish polytechnic, u won go form 18again abi, haba

And Boko Haram nearly spoilt this wonderful plan

Use a blackberry? Add me on BBM. Pin:26BE3874, I'm male btw! English speaking persons only,

The players no go school? read the fine prints before you sign anything!

i trust Niger they will turn it to padi padi now fooooooooooooooool human being.

slimdamatrix:

Use a blackberry? Add me on BBM. Pin:26BE3874, I'm male btw! English speaking persons only,

what does dis mean.

Pls cud u update this me when the camp is opened, thanks

Bad news, wake me up when Barca or Arsena decides to set up an academy in Nigeria.

Nice move, i tink i wuld giv dat a try wen d tym cums.

i think its time for me to b 15 all ova again

May it bring good fortunes to naija

this is good news

In every development, Boko Haram is always an issue. May GOD slaughter all Boko Haramites and their sponsors

youngbo$$:

May it bring good fortunes to naija

. . . . . . . . .AMEN!!!!. . . . .

aglomar:

Great dev. I hope our govt won't make them run away like they did 2 Guiness n co.

Me too,

who is chelsea. ?

need enlightenment

It's a welcome development