*we want players that see the game as fun, not work- FC Bayern legend, Coach Hans Pflugler
By; PAMELA EBOH, Awka
The chairman of Anambra State Sports Development Commission (ANSDC), Chief Tony Oli over the weekend, appealed to a German professional sports club, Bayern Munich, to include Africa among their choice areas for the establishment of academy.
He cited Anambra State as the best area for such project, saying that the state will not only provide an enabling environment, but will partner with it to ensure its success.
Oli who made the appeal at a press conference to herald a 2-day Bayern Munich Youth Soccer Championship holding at Awka City Stadium, gave assurance that the state would provide the land and other facilities to the specifications of the club, including the enabling environment for the academy to progress.
While noting that the sports academy would help to groom and showcase talented Nigerians and other African nationals to the world of soccer, the chairman explained that the call was in line with the vision of Governor Charles Soludo’s administration to revolutionalising sports.
He added, “It is also necessary because there is no existing Bayern Munich sports academy in Africa despite the contributions of Africans especially the indigenes of Anambra in sports development worldwide.”
In his response, the FC Bayern Youth Cup Nigeria Tournament Director, Mr Victor Obinna Edeh, said that it was the interest of the German Bundesliga side in Africa for its activities, that conceived the youth soccer championship which has been on since 2018.
He promised that the consideration for bringing an academy to Africa as it did to other continents, would be considered at an appropriate time.
On the ongoing 2-day youth soccer championship holding at Awka, Edeh said, “The programme which has brought FC Bayern legend, Coach Hans Pflugler and Christopher Loch was organised by Aspire Foundation, VOE Foundation and Anambra State Sports Development Commission.
“At the end of the tournament, about 10 players would be selected to form part of 100 that will represent Africa at the 2022 Bayern Munich Youth Cup Tournament in Berlin, Germany by October this year.
“Two of the teams participating at the tournament are from Anambra, the host state, while eight others are from Lagos, Jos, Kano, Abuja and Enugu. This measure is to ensure that best brains were selected from across Nigerians irrespective of ethnic or religious inclinations,” he explained.
Earlier, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Aspire Foundation, Dr Emeka Okeke, represented by the foundation’s Director of Programme Design and Implementation, Mr Tobechi Onwubuche, disclosed that the sporting event is among the many projects of the foundation.
“My Anambra Football”, he embarked upon with a view to produce more football champions from among talented Anambrarians, he added.
On the terms for selecting players, FC Bayern legend, Coach Hans Pflugler said that they are looking for players who are not good at playing, but the way they look around while playing, interaction with other players and importantly taking the game as fun, not work.
