The team from Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club, led by the Director of Football, Chief Alloy Chukwuemeka, visited and inspected facilities in Offa, Kwara State, on Saturday, August 17, ahead of the final round of screening for its Players' Talent Hunt and Development Programme (PTDP).
The team inspected facilities for accommodating players and officials, as well as training and match pitches, including Zeems Sports Arena, Oloffa Stadium, Freedom Hotel, and others.
After expressing satisfaction with the facilities, the team selected Saturday, August 24, as the arrival date for all players, in preparation for the three-day screening which will take place from Sunday, August 25, to Tuesday, August 27.
Chairman of Offa Local Football Council, Alhaji Wasiu, and members of Offa FA were present to receive the team and assured them of maximum security and logistical arrangements.
The final round of screening will include all players previously selected from the six geo-political zones across the country.
The talent hunt team visited six locations across Nigeria: Kaduna (North West), Bauchi (North East), Owerri (South East—this location was put on hold due to environmental concerns), Calabar (South South), Ado Ekiti (South West), and Ilorin (North Central).
The initiative aims to discover players ready for transfer to European markets and to strengthen both the main team of ABS FC and the U-19 Youth League.
This programme is a collaborative effort with ABS FC's international partners.
The initiative is expected to boost the country's football development and increase the number of Nigerian players competing at the highest level globally.
Speaking with football stakeholders in Offa after the inspection, Chukwuemeka said Offa was chosen to allow for maximum concentration and called for support to ensure the successful completion of the project.
Others in the entourage included the Club's Coordinator, Jimoh Bashir; the Secretary, Funmilayo Owolabi; the Welfare Officer, Wahab Ayinde; the Head of Technical for the PTDP project, Coach Yusuf Salihu; North Central Zonal Coordinator, Mallam Ahmed Abdullahi; the Club's Media Officer, Tosh Michaels; and others.
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