The Honourable Commissioner of Youth and Sports Development Bauchi State Alhaji Adamu Manu Soro has commended the organizers of Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic for finding the State worthy of hosting as the centre for North East Zone.

Alhaji Adamu made this disclosure at the opening ceremony of the 5-days clinic at the Games Village Centre in Bauchi State.

Soro noted that the programme will serve as a big opportunity for the atate in its efforts in building the capacity of the youth and also develop the game of football.

“I want to give assurance of my Governor that he is committed to see our youth are doing something right and we appreciate you for bringing this programme to our State.”

In his remarks Mallam Murtala Sambo, the Coordinator of Nationwide League One (NLO) in the North East
appreciated the Government of Bauchi State for motivating in their efforts in developing the game of football from the grassroots.”

While commending the Bauchi State FA Chairman, MON Patrick Pascal for his efforts, the coordinator stressed the need for club to have able hands in the helms of affairs as one of the inspiration of the partnership between the clinic organizers and the NLO.

While noting that the project has the potential to deliver the ‘shared dream’, he revealed that NLO has been receiving testimonies from participants in other locations where the programme has held.

“I implore whoever is participating in this clinic to show total commitment because without that you can’t get what you want.

With the train of the programme now in Bauchi State for the North East State, Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic has now covered all the 6 geopolitical zones of the country.

Other guests at the opening ceremony are Coach Mathew Olorunleke, a Nigerian-Italian who is one of the resource persons, Gian Marco, an Italian certified goalkeeper trainer, Owolabi Aleshinloye Head of Media Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic and a host of others.

The organisers of NLO Berackiah/Abigol football coaching clinic has been urged to sustain the initiative in order to place coaching education system in the country on an enduring path.

Nazir Muhammed, the class representative of the participants of the programme made the remarks on Friday in Kaduna at the closing ceremony of the 5-days clinic which was aimed at enhancing and improving the capacity of grassroots coaches.

While describing the clinic as a welcome development, he noted that the participants were really fortunate and have enjoyed a rare opportunity and privilege by attending the programme.

“This is a welcome development and we are privileged and fortunate to be part of this project which I believe will enhance our performances.

“I thank the facilitators of this project and I want to urge them to continue, because what we lack in this country is continuity” Nazir said.

In his own remarks, the President of Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA) Ladan Bosso charged the participants to replicate the teachings when they get back to their respective clubs.

He admonished them to exhibit positive difference in their delivery as a way of bringing about the needed wave in football development.

Honourable Sheriff Alkazeem, the Kaduna State Football Association Chairman lauded the organizers for bringing the programme to Kaduna.

“This is historical for me and my board members because it is the first coaching clinic that will be happening under our administration. I am definitely going to add this to my achievements card at the end of the year.

He however appealed to the NFCA President to create opportunity for grassroots coaches as a way of eliminating weapons without purpose system.

Other guests at the event were Coach Mathew Olorunleke, a Nigerian-Italian who is also a resource person, Gian Marco Diuna, an Italian goalkeeper trainer and host of others.

A total number of 44 coaches participated in the clinic in Kaduna as the second phase of the clinic in the North West part of the country after similar programme had been done in Kano in the previous week.

The clinic having covered five geo-political zones in the country will now head to the North East in Bauchi State and run from Monday, March 1st – 5th of March.

Nigerian Coaches have been charged to be creative and innovative in order to increase their value as a critical stakeholders in football development.

Mathew Olorunleke, a Nigerian-Italian football coach gave the admonition on Friday during the closing ceremony of the  NLO Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic for the North West Zone ‘A’ in Kano State.

The former Nigeria international
pointed out that the coaches could only unleash their full potentials by upholding principles and values that are worthy of emulation.

“If you aren’t trustworthy, who will invest in you? You must be
innovative and creative. By extension you should be able to bring something new to the table”, Olorunleke said.

Coach Kelvin Idris who spoke on behalf of the 99 participants who received their certificates on Friday thanked the organizers and resource persons for driving them through the world of football management and administration within the short time of the clinic.

He described the sessions as filled with impact which have widening their horizons about the dug out business.

The president of Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA) Coach Ladan Bosso, in his words also urged the coaches to raise the bar of the game while noting the importance of mentorship in making the best of a career.

Dr. Bashir Maizare ,the Director of Sports from the Kano State Sports Commission in a remark appreciated the organizers for finding the state worthy of hosting the programme.

The 5-day football coaching clinic was a pack of practical and theoretical sessios aimed at enhancing the capacity and competence of the Nationwide League One(NLO) and grassroots coaches in the zone having done the similar programme in four other geopolitical zones of the country remaining the North Eastern part.

The clinic train will now move to Kaduna State for the second part of the North West Zone and is scheduled to hold from Monday 22nd- Friday 26th of February at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.

The President of Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA), Ladan Bosso has described the ongoing Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic in Kano as the ideal way to improve the efficiency of Nigerian coaches.

The Nigeria U-20 handler (otherwise known as Flying Eagles) noted that the clinic had found a good home with the NFCA mandate and identifying with it is a reflection of the pressing need to develop coaches from the grassroots level to the top cadre.

He said the NFCA has been working closely with all series of coaching clinic programmes with the purpose of assessing their delivery and also deciding which best suit the categories of coaches in the country.

“At any point in time we always assess them (coaching programmes) and that’s why we are here now to watch and assess which is best suit for different categories of the coaches in Nigeria.”

Bosso extolled the Berackiah/Abigol Clinic for beating expectations in terms of organisation and delivery while tipping them for a promotion in mandate and purpose.

“We haven’t found them (Berackiah/Abigol) wanting of going against our mandate so they are good to go and we’re even looking at how we can promote them beyond the grassroots coaching.”

While expressing the need for football identity in terms of philosophy and ideology, he revealed that the NFCA is planning to unveil yet another coaching education program tagged “Digital Assistant Coach”.

The former FC IfeanyiUbah tactician explained that, “Digital Assistant Coach basically entails how coaches can use numbers and
electronic gadgets in their job in order to enhance effectiveness”

The 5-day clinic which has now covered five geopolitical zones in the country will end on Friday 19th of February in Kano.

The North West Zone B schedule of the clinic will run in Kaduna State from Monday 22nd- Friday 26th of February.

Participants at the NLO Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic have been urged to leverage on the delivery as the 5-day programme commenced in Kano on Monday for the North West geopolitical Zone A of the country.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the capacity building programme at the Ganduje Theatre Hall of Saadatu Abubakar Rimi College of Education in Kano, the CEO Berackiah International, Mr. Wonders N. Nwigwe urged the participants to embrace the revelation of football dynamism the clinic has been offering.

While thanking the Kano State Government for providing the enabling environment for the project, Nwingwe admonished the coaches to strike the chord of assimilation for the intensive period of coaching education which he said will help discover themselves and unleash their potential.

“If we are going to get good players, we must get good coachea. This was the reason behind our decision to initiate this project in order to impact the modern knowledge of football on our coaches which will in turn help them in developing players, Mr Wonders noted.

The Director of Sports of Sports Commission in Kano State, Mallam Bashir Ahmed lauded the initiative and expressed belief that it will add value to the coaches.

Mallam Ahmad revealed that the programme has come at a time when the need to revive sports is pressing on the government hence it’s capacity to help turn the trend in terms of talents discovery and development.

“The clinic is important because it comes at a time our sports is experiencing a downfall and now we hope this clinic will revive our sports back, Bashir said in his words.

For the clinic, participants will have the opportunity to learn from former coach Mathew Olorunleke, an Italian /Nigerian Coach,
Gian Marco Duina a certified goalkeeper trainer, Nigeria Football Coaches Association President, coach Ladan Bosso and host of other football instructors in Nigeria.

The Chief Whip of Kano State Chapter of Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA), Coach Usman Sanda expressed his delight at the initiative and assured the organizer of the association support through out their stay.

Guests at the event includes, Ibrahim Gwadabe (Minta); the Vice Chairman NFCA, Kano State chapter, Segun Akeusola; Head of Planning Berackiah/Abigol Clinic, Comrade Owolabi Aleshinloye, Head of Media Berackiah/Abigol Coaching Clinic among other distinguished personalities.

Nasarawa State Government has commended the organizers of Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic for the initiative which it said will develop the capacity and competence of football managers.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the clinic which held at the Lafia City Hall, Honourable Othman Bala, the commissioner for Youth and Sports in Nasarawa state assured the organizers the support of the state government towards the success of 5-day clinic.

He noted that the clinic came at a better time when the state is now finding its bearing in sports development upon which it has designed policies aimed at changing the narratives for good with priority on capacity and competence.

“I believe with the depth of technical input of this programme, it will bring about career progression and add value to the coaches and the players, Othman said.

He further added that, “We have been left behind but we’re lucky that we haven’t lost focus. We have now find our bearing and we are going to partner with you as a state sovernment.”

In his remarks, the Executive Board Member of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF who also double as Chairman of Nationwide League One (NLO) Alhaji Muhammed Alkali revealed that the clinic with its partnership along with the board is aimed at impacting modern knowledge on the coaches.

Alkali who’s also as the Chairman Nasarawa State Football Association said the NLO partnership with the clinic is a manifestation of his management policy trust in a bid to rebrand and repackage the league as a professional campaign.

“NFF has approved this clinic as part of criteria for NLO clubs and you must have the certificate to be able to seat on the bench of NLO matches, Alkali said.

Bitrus Bewarang, the former Technical Director of NFF also commended the organizers of the clinic saying that it will go along way to help football development at the grassroots.

The CEO Abigol Football Management, Mathew Olorunleke thanked the state government for the hospitality and support it has accorded the Berackiah/Abigol team.

Other guests at the event include Hon. Halidu Akwashiki, Vice Chairman, Nassarawa State Football Association, Mallam Babarabi, the FA secretary and other board Members of the State Football Association.

Also at the opening ceremony are the former Super Eagles and a retired FIFA/CAF instructor, High Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, Roberto Bassi, Gian Marco, Mr. Wonders Nwigwe the CEO Berackiah International, Managing Director of Abigol Football Management Mr. Abraham Olorunleke and host of others.

The clinic for the North Central Zone will end on Friday 12th, February.

Odigie, a junior CAF instructor and FIFA Educator made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen at the sideline during a feild session of the Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic in Asaba.

“Berackiah/Abigol coaching clinic is a very good initiative and this is the ideal thing for football development,” the coach said.

He noted that the clinic which aligns with FIFA’s policy thrust at constantly improving football will help build the capacity of Nigerian coaches which will morphome into a beautiful display of football artistry.

He urged the coaches to have an ambition and follow it passionately against all the odds noting that they must keep being a professional with the hope that things will change for good.

“First and foremost we have to get it right organisationally. We should have a good structure where every now and then clinics are being organized like this and when they are made available at grassroots, coaches will be able to train talented footballers,” the former Bayelsa coach said.

Odigie who last worked with Bendel Insurance of Benin during their last spell in NPFL said he left the club to pursue further education in coaching.

Participants of the clinic also had the opportunity to learn from the tactician with his logical and intellectual reviews and analysis.

Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching clinic has recorded another huge success as 74 coaches from South-South and South-East part of the country received their certificate of attendance after a 5-day intensive coaching training.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the clinic which held at the Delta State Football Secretariat (known as Patrick Okpomo Football House), Harrison Ocholor who represented the State Government at the event lauded the organizers for the initiative which he said will have positive impact on Nigeria football.

The clinic which featured education on all contents of the game offered a rare opportunity for grassroots coaches to learn the art of the game from the revered former Super Eagles Coach and retired FIFA/CAF instructor, High Chief Onigbinde.

It was another edge for the participants of the programme as the former Super Eagles Coach and current Technical Director of the NFF, Coach Austin Eguavoen repleted the delivery with his experience and loads of insightful lectures.

Also availing all the participants from the 11 states of South-East and South-South more knowledge about the dynamics of the game were the Mathew Olorunleke, Roberto Bassi and Marco Gian who had all came from Italy.

Stressing the importance of coaching education, Monday Odigie the former Bendel Insurance gaffer and a junior CAF instructor urged all the participants not to allow the situation of the country affect their aspirations adding that they should up their game to be in tune with the global best practices.

The train of the clinic has landed in Awka, Anambra atate where 30 coaches will be receiving another round of education on football from all the resource persons between 5th-6th of February.

Lafia, the capital of Nassarawa State will be next on the card to play host to the coaching clinic for the North-Central from Monday 8th- Friday 12th of February.

We have made constructive efforts at providing you with  all the bit  that made the lot of the just concluded South West Zone phase of the Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic.

Featuring about 12 sessions of training which includes Theory and Practical, the clinic provided a great opportunity for Nigerian Coaches to learn, re-learn and un-learn football concepts of various ideology.

Gian Marco as a Goalkeeper Trainee is one of the resource person from Italy. He was able to share his knowledge with Nigerian Coaches on the fundamentals of coaching and getting the best out of goalkeepers.

Speaking to Berackiah/Abigol Media Team at the sideline of the event he said:

“I feel honored to be here and I want to thank all the people who have worked to make this project happen and make it possible for me to come”

Marco believes he is just privileged to impact on the coaches and not  a ‘teacher’ who wants to teach what has not been taught before.

“What I want to do is to exchange my knowledge with the locals. I have found very   prepared coaches in this course and so I am finding my self comfortable. So it’s just a first step and every journey begins with a step and we are to start.

Marco spoke highly of Nigerian Coaches for keeping the passion alive despite the myriad of socio-economic challenges and difficulties they have got to deal with.

“I admire their passion because in Europe where I came from ,we have plenty of infrastructure which are lacking here in Africa and despite that they didn’t quit and they are working in situation that we in Europe can’t even imagine,if we find such a situation with the lack of materials, infrastructure,most of the people in Europe would  have quit”.

“I am not teaching anything it is a win to win project,I learn something they learn something we are exchanging Knowledge so I am feeling better with that Marco said.

From NLO to NPFL : Marco has a dream

“I want this project to reach the top most especially as we are starting with the lower tier of the league,we want to reach the second tier and the top division of the league and even all over Africa.

Roberto Bassi is another resource person who have taken the participants through the dynamism of the game .

He said in his words: “I am very happy to be here.

The last few days we have spent, the level of Nigerian Coaches concentration to the programme is good and they are willing to learn so I hope this programme will in the future be a point of reckoning”

Mathew Olorunleke is the CEO of Abigol Football Management and a co – facilitator of the clinic. As one of the brain behind the project, he believes the potential of Nigerian Coaches will help them scale the height coupled with what the clinic has offered.

“It is not easy this is the first time, we are trying to cope to make it better and I must say from what I have seen, the Coaches are able to learn and are trying to cope as well.

Bridging the Gap and hopes

For Mathew, there is always the need to do more. He expressed the need to bridge the gap between talents and those who tend to develop them.

If Nigeria can have one of the expensive players in the market and we have players that are doing well in Europe, It will be very wrong to say Nigeria Coaches are not good. For us, we have discovered the missing link and now keen to bridge the gap.

He argued that if Nigeria players are doing well in abroad,that means Nigerian Coaches are good just that there is need to keep developing themselves in tune with what is obtainable in the advanced world.

Coach Siji Lagunju is the Assistant Director of Training and Development at the NFF and as veteran Coach himself, he preached  the significance for Coaches to develop themselves taking in to cognisance the principles of intellectuality, technicality, tactically , medically and physically.

High Chief Festus Adegboye Onigbinde was the cynosure of all eyes at the 5-day clinic.

An ‘encyclopedia many will call him. The CAF/FIFA instructor urged all the participants to be inquisitive, impactful and be selfless in the course of their duty saying that integrity is another integral part of the job.

While noting the parallels between football administrators and coaches, the octogenarian appealed to all the participants not to lose focus and continue to do their best for the country adding that there must be unity of purpose in their ranks across the country.

116 coaches who attended the coaching clinic have now been given their certificates with the hope that the effects of their new acquired knowledge will bear positive impact on Nigeria football.

The clinic train will now move to South South and South East Zone where schedules will be held from 1st-5th of February in Asaba, Delta State.

The North Central and North East Zone programme will also holds in Lafia, Nasarawa State from 8th-12th February.

Nigeria Football Association (NFF) says the country’s youth football will get to greater heights as our local coaches will tap in from the expertise shared at the football coaching clinic organised by Berackiah International and Abigol Football Management.

The Clinic which has been Integrated by the Nationwide League One (NLO) and aim to train, educate and develop Nigeria Coaches commenced at the Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium in Ijebu-Ode,Ogun State.

Chairman Ogun State Football Association and NFF Executive Committee Member, Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi who spoke on behalf of NFF First Vice-President Barrister Seyi and Chairman Nationwide League One, Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, pointed out the importance of the coaching clinic while stressing that gaining more knowledge should be paramount on the minds of the participants.

According to Majekodunmi: “We are very proud to have partnered with Nigeria Football Coaches Association and Berackiah/Abigol on this coaching clinic. The clinic is very good for Nigeria’s football. The NLO as a body is very committed to improving the league and as such will go the extra mile to ensuring capacity-building events like this holds regularly with support from Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Department.

“The coaching clinic will be on technical football session to facilitate knowledge for our local coaches and to develop the quality of the Nationwide League One. We are confident that this will significantly improve the technical expertise of our local coaches.

“The clinic will equip our football coaches with the tactical knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the game and improve the overall quality of the Nationwide League One. I’m proud to say that the course content is very rich and encompassing and the resource persons are top notch from Italy and local content will be handled by Nigerian best instructors.

“Youth development is the future of football. We are committed to developing capacity at the grassroots level, with the Berackiah/Abigol Coaching Clinic, we’ll get the desired results. We will continue to collaborate with our partners, in ways to develop our football and our league.”

The clinic was boosted with the arrival of UEFA accredited top Italian football coaches, Roberto Bassi, Gian Marco Duina and Nigeria’s Matthew Olorunleke, who are the foreign resource persons while the local content will be handled by Nigeria’s best instructors, Chief Adegboyega Onigbinde, Siji Olagunju.

The Berackiah/Abigol Coaching Clinic is scheduled to hold across the country as thus; South West Zone began in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State from 25-29th of January.

South South and South East Zone holds in Asaba, Delta State from 1st-5th of February.

North Central and North East Zone holds in Lafia, Nasarawa State from 8th-12th February.