Cyril Ogar

For many young footballers in Nigeria, the journey from playing football in their communities to securing a place in organised professional football can be difficult. In Ughelli South, Delta State, a new grassroots project is seeking to create a more structured route for young players to develop their talent, remain connected to education and ultimately pursue professional football.

Tpack Football Club (Tpack FC), founded in 2025 by ThankGod Ochuko, began as a grassroots football project based at Otokuto Secondary School before developing into a more structured youth football programme.

The project is built around the idea that football development should go beyond simply assembling talented young players. Its stated objective is to create an environment where players can receive regular football training, education, discipline and exposure while working towards progression into competitive football.

Speaking about the project, Ochuko, who serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tpack FC, said the club was established to provide young footballers in Ughelli South with an organised pathway.

“Our vision is to give young footballers in Ughelli South an organised pathway where they can develop their talent, receive proper education and discipline, and have the opportunity to progress into professional football. We want Tpack FC to become a platform where young people can turn their dreams into reality.”

Tpack FC currently operates from the football facility at Otokuto Secondary School, which remains the base for its grassroots development activities.

The club’s development structure is designed around different age categories, with plans to maintain teams at U15, U17 and U20/Senior levels. The proposed playing structure is expected to accommodate between 35 and 50 players, allowing the club to develop players progressively through the different stages of its programme.

At the centre of the project is the club’s stated mission to discover, train, educate and promote young footballers from Ughelli South.

Rather than treating grassroots football as an end in itself, Tpack FC is seeking to establish a pathway into organised competition. The club has already participated in local football activities, with its profile recording fixtures including a meeting with FC Tellectual.

Its medium-term plans include participation in competitions under the Delta State Football Association and the Nationwide League One (NLO) structure.

The longer-term ambition is to progress through Nigeria’s football pyramid, with the club identifying the Nigeria National League (NNL) and ultimately the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) as targets.

For Tpack FC, however, competitive progression is only one part of the development model.

The club has outlined plans for an academy complex that would include player accommodation and classroom facilities. The proposed model is intended to combine football development with education, providing young players with an environment where their sporting and academic development can take place alongside each other.

Another component of the club’s plans is a player-production programme targeting between three and five professional players annually. Tpack FC also intends to organise a biannual scouting showcase, creating additional opportunities for its players to attract the attention of scouts, clubs and other football stakeholders.

The ambition reflects a growing emphasis within grassroots football on creating clearer pathways between youth development and the professional game.

For a community such as Ughelli South, the model could also provide a local platform for young players who might otherwise have to travel outside the area in search of structured football opportunities.

Ochuko is supported in the club’s management structure by Sporting Director/Secretary Osia Felix, while Kingsley Akpososo serves as head coach.

The club has adopted “Making Dreams Reality” as its motto, with talent, passion, action and commitment identified as some of its core values.

Tpack FC’s immediate task is to translate its development plans into a sustainable football structure, competitive participation and measurable player progression. Its longer-term objective is to establish a system in which talented players from Ughelli South can progress from grassroots football through organised youth competition and, ultimately, towards the professional game.

If that pathway is successfully developed, Tpack FC could become more than a local youth football project; it could provide a structured football-development platform connecting young talent in Ughelli South with opportunities beyond the community.

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