 and LaLiga signed a partnership to support the development of grassroots football){kind=link}
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MTN Nigeria, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and LaLiga signed a partnership to support the development of grassroots football in Nigeria by establishing the NPFL/LaLiga U-15 Youth League.
The partnership will ensure continuous local and international exposure for Nigerian youth football, capacity building for players and coaching talents, which ultimately contribute to the advancement of developmental football in the country.
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There will also be a one-week coaching seminar which will see seasoned LaLiga coaches interact with their local counterparts on modern youth coaching techniques. Forty NPFL coaches, national team coaches, and other youth coaches across the country will benefit from the seminar.
Shehu Dikko, Chairman, League Management Company (LMC) says the tournament creates an opportunity to grow grassroots football in Nigeria.
“We are extremely delighted to have MTN as the elite partner and supporter of the NPFL/LaLiga U-15 youth league which has been going on since 2017. It is worthy to note that this year’s (2022) edition is the fourth. Some of the players who participated in the first and second editions have been called to play and captained the U17-national team and the U-20 national team, whilst others ply their trades abroad, which has been a great source of revenue for our participating clubs.”
“We are excited to see a player like Akin Amoo who is a part of the class of 2017 making the Super Eagles squad for the just-concluded World Cup play-off matches. This clearly depicts the enormous potential of what we are doing and now with the finest touch of MTN and the continuous exceptional support of LaLiga, the sky is the limit for this project,” Dikko said.
“At MTN, our love for the beautiful game is palpable in our investments in Nigerian football. Our commitment to developmental football is expressed in this partnership with the NPFL. We aim to provide and support avenues to identify and coach the best young footballing talent in Nigeria, ultimately promoting grassroots football in Nigeria,” Adia Sowho, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, stated.
Desmond Chiji, LaLiga Global Network Delegate for Nigeria, adds that the tournament will aid the development of football in Nigeria.
“It has been an interesting project right from when we started this in 2017. A journey that has seen us grow the relationship with the NPFL, and together we have made this youth tournament a masterpiece. We will continue to work closely together in building the future stars, and we are proud to be part of the driving force in the growth of grassroots football here in Nigeria.”
“We are excited about the partnership between LaLiga, NPFL and MTN because we believe it will aid our quest to develop Nigerian football and change the face of the game in the country. The relationship between Nigeria and LaLiga has been very beneficial, we have had several Nigerian players play professionally in Spain, we are pleased with this and we want the trend to continue.”
In 2021, MTN Nigeria signed a partnership agreement with the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, making the company the Official Communications Partner of the Super Eagles and other national teams. This partnership sees MTN execute several exciting activities around Nigerian football, allowing football lovers to enjoy the sport uniquely.