Sports

We Will Do Our Best, Kurfi Balele Tells NFF

Published

2 years ago

October 20, 2022

By Joel Ajayi

One of the foremost Football Administrators and the newly appointed Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation NFF, Task force for the Nigeria’s age grade national teams, Aminu Balele Kurfi has assured all Nigerian that the task force will do their best to ensure better preparations, outing for the U23, U20 and U17 teams respectively.

He gave this assurance when NFF president Ibrahim Gusua inaugurated the committee on Thursday in Abuja as he sought for the support of all Nigerians especially the media to succeed.

The Chairman of the Task Force, Balele admitted that the task ahead is huge but believed that it is achievable with support from Nigerians.

According to him, we need maximum support from everyone for our national teams to succeed. It is not going to be easy but we can do it with the support of Nigerians and the media.

“The assignment given to us is huge. To prepare the national teams for successful tournaments is not an easy task. The reason is that the U23 will be in action when the league is not on but that will not be a problem as we will do everything in making sure that all the teams do well.

“We will work with Executive Committee members and the Technical Committee of the NFF as well as the Media for successful preparations of all the age-grade National Teams.”

Share on Facebook

Sports

The Next Messi or Ronaldo Will Come from Africa -Founder of Next Level Scouting

Published

6 mins ago

March 21, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

One of the world’s top scouting agents and the founder of Next Level Scouting, Jouko Gorissen, has expressed confidence that the next football superstar comparable to Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo will emerge from Africa, particularly Nigeria, given the immense talent present in the country.

The event, organized in partnership with USYAK Academy, has attracted over 10 scouts from across the globe, all keen on identifying future football stars.

Speaking at the ongoing Next Level Scouting 2025 event inside the turf Arena pitch Central Business Area on Friday, in Abuja, Nigeria, Jouko Gorissen emphasized the importance of discovering and nurturing young players with exceptional potential.

The Next Level Scouting programme has brought together over 300 young players from 16 academies across Nigeria, with successful players set to secure opportunities in top footballing nations such as Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands.

“We have 10 scouts on the ground and another 198 scouts worldwide watching the games online. There are 16 teams competing for professional contracts, and opportunities are not limited to Europe alone.

“Clubs from Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, America, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, and even Australia are watching right now.”

He praised Nigerian players for their distinct style of play, saying: Nigerian players are known for high-paced, high-intensity, strong, and technical football.

“We’ve already spotted a few players in the first game who seem ready to take the next step.”
Gorissen expressed optimism about Africa’s football future: “Studies suggest that the next Messi or Ronaldo will come from Africa. This is what we hope to see here.

“Our job is to find the right clubs where these players can develop and progress to the next level.”

In his remarks, Usman Alfa, Chairman of USYAK Academy and Team Manager of Niger Tornadoes FC, emphasized the dual purpose of scouting-talent discovery and financial investment.
“Our goal is to discover talents and generate revenue because football is both a passion and a business.

“We have 16 academies participating, giving young players a platform to showcase their skills.
“Each team will play two matches, and the best talents will be selected to advance in their football careers.”

The Next Level Scouting 2025 event is set to be a game-changer for Nigerian football, offering young players a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be scouted by top clubs worldwide. With extensive global interest and investment in African football, the dream of producing the next football icon from the continent is closer than ever.

However, the Chairman of Nigeria National League (NNL), George Aluo, who was the special guest of honour kick off the event inside Turf Arena central Area of Nigeria.

Share on Facebook