Sports

QNET Brings Manchester City Football Clinic to Nigeria

Published

3 years ago

May 15, 2023

Global e-commerce based direct selling company QNET and its local partner, Transblue Ltd, have launched a football clinic to engage Nigerian youth in Abeokuta and Ogun State.

The ‘ManCity Football Clinic’ program, in partnership with Manchester City Football Club (Man City), will provide 26 disadvantaged adolescents with access to world-class football training and coaching by a team of experts led by Nigerian football legend and veteran coach, Johannes Bonfrere.

The just concluded QNETCity coaching clinic in Abeokuta Nigeria will help aspiring footballers turn their dreams into a reality.
Trevor made this known in a media parley held in Lagos on Friday to mark the end of the five-day QNETCity football clinic in Abeokuta, Southwest Nigeria which was sponsored and organized by QNET and Transblue in collaboration with Manchester City.

” At QNET, we believe that sports are more than just a game – they teach important values like teamwork, discipline, and perseverance,” said Trevor Kuna, Chief Transformation and Reputation Officer at QNET. “That’s why we’re proud to be collaborating with Manchester City to bring this unique opportunity to Nigerian youth, regardless of their background. Our aim is to empower them to achieve their dreams and help them develop into confident, well-rounded individuals.”

” I am very satisfied with the high level of skills and output by the selected players for the clinic, and I must say this, the skills displayed by the players are beyond expectation and I hope this will transform the hope of these kids of playing for Manchester City and other big clubs in Europe into reality,” said Trevor.

In the same vein, former Super Eagles coach, Bonfere Jo corroborated the submission of Trevor.

The Atlanta 96 Gold medal winning coach with Nigeria men’s under 23 football team who oversaw coaching and training sessions over the five days of the QNETCity Football Clinic, is equally enthusiastic about the program.

“As a coach with a deep passion for nurturing young talent, I believe that this football clinic is a major step that holds tremendous potential for the future of Nigerian football,” he said. “It provides a platform where aspiring athletes can receive extensive coaching, refine their skills, and develop a deeper understanding of the game. I am confident that this initiative will play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of Nigerian football stars.”

He further said,, ” There is no mistake in the qualities of these players. They all have good qualities in all departments of the field. With good training and coaching, they will be good players for the future of Nigeria.”

For young player like Ajayi Oluwaseun Emmanuel, aged 16, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “It’s like a dream come true for me. A Premier League football club clinic where a world-class Olympic coach will personally train me, I am just grateful to God.”

The QNETCity Coaching Clinic in Nigeria aims to enable young footballers from different states to find common ground and a source of encouragement to envisage a better future. The aim is to use the partnership QNET as a sponsor of ManCity to improve, develop and support football across Nigeria.

The project kicked off in Nigeria with 26 boys under the age of 17 years which started on May 8, 2023, in ABEOKUTA, and ended on Thursday, 11th May 2023

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

8 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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