Cowbell Football Academy: Hope Rises For Nigerian Football

Following significant contributions to sports development in the country by Promasidor Nigeria Limited, maker of Cowbell Milk, sports fans have foreseen bright future for Nigerian football.

Some of the fans who spoke at the ongoing 3-week Summer Camp training for kids organized by Cowbell Football Academy (CFA) at the national stadium, Surulere, Lagos, expressed optimism that with the academy, there is hope for Nigerian football in the nearest future.

Cowbell Football Academy was launched in 2012 as a corporate social responsibilities program by Promasidor Nigeria with the aim of building and developing the nation through sports.

The academy is committed to preparing young footballers, between ages 3 – 18 years to shine as stars in the future.

The Managing Director, Noble Vine Essential Limited (NOVEL), Mr. Ayo Alabi said the training which is meant to engage kids during the summer season and make them better Nigerians is a welcome development that will help to reposition football in the country.

Alabi who is also a parent to one of the trainee kids said he was excited when he attended one of the class room seminar the academy organized for the children, adding that the mode of delivery and the content of the seminar was a holistic approach to football coaching.

“With this kind of academy, I think there is hope for Nigeria football in the nearest future because presently the condition of football in Nigeria is actually in a state of disrepair and many things has gone wrong both in administration and academic wise.

But what we are saying is that with the contribution of Promasidor to football academy, there is still hope for Nigerian football as regards the youths that are just coming up. If they are able to keep the tempo, I think we will have a generation of footballers in Nigeria who knows what football is all about,” he said.

Alabi stressed the need for more corporate organizations to join forces to support and finance this kind of academy to enable the country have a bigger umbrella under which a totally new generation of footballers could be raised.

Speaking in the same vein, Coach Robinson Emomah, one of the coaches in the academy, said he was encouraged by the progress and the platform the academy has created and urged other corporate bodies to adopt similar initiatives.

“It's amazing how an organization can come up with an initiative like this not just the academy but the platform it has created. The academy will have a positive impact on football in this country. It is good for the kids. We were not privileged to have this kind of opportunity to play under academy to know the basics of football.

For corporate organizations to affect the children positively, they should raise this kind of academy and support the children and the country to have more great players like the Okocha's and Odegbami's,” Emomah said.