Sports

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

Published

2 years ago

March 21, 2025

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

Sports

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

Published

5 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.

Share on Facebook