MTN Nigeria, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and LaLiga, the men’s top professional football division of the Spanish football league system, have announced the 2023 edition of the U-15 youth league tournament. The tournament kicked off on April 13, 2023, after a press briefing at the Remo Stars stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.
The U-15 tournament, which features 16 teams, will showcase the sport’s best and brightest young talent. The tournament promises to be one of the most exciting sporting events of the year, with 16 youth football teams from across the country competing for a month to be crowned champions.
According to Harry Iwuala, head of communications for the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), the tournament provides an opportunity to further invest in and develop grassroots football in Nigeria.
“The philosophy behind this tournament is the same as the philosophy behind every global youth football development program: find tomorrow’s professionals today and hone their skills to become tomorrow’s professionals. We are excited to see how this tournament has grown over the years. We will continue to improve the tournament and be a true platform for developing football in Nigeria,” he added.
Njide Ken-Odogwu, manager, sponsorship and promotion, MTN Nigeria, spoke about MTN’s commitment to the development of grassroots football in Nigeria.
Ken-Odogwu,who represented Adia Sowho,the chief marketing officer, MTN Nigeria, at the press briefing, said MTN is committed to the growth of sports in Nigeria, with a particular focus on grassroots football.
In his words: “At MTN, we believe everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life, and we bring this to light by becoming an enabler of these young Nigerians’ dreams and aspirations.
We are partnering with the NPFL and La-Liga for the U-15 Promise Youth League because we believe there are many undiscovered raw talents out there waiting to be discovered, and this is the right platform to help them reach their full potential. We remain committed to the development of football in Nigeria because we believe that this is Naija where football lives.”
The U-15 tournament ensures that Nigerian youth football receives ongoing local and international exposure, as well as capacity building for players and coaching talent, all of which contribute to the advancement of developmental football in the country.
Mutiu Adepoju, LaLiga global ambassador for Nigeria, noted that the tournament is critical for identifying future football players in the country.
“Since 2016, La Liga has supported the development of football in Nigeria because we recognize how much talent exists in the country, and with more tournaments like this, we will be able to do more than we are currently doing. We will continue to offer support in ensuring that Nigerian football thrives,” Adepoju said.
In addition to the competition on the field, the tournament will include a one-week coaching seminar where seasoned La Liga coaches will interact with their local counterparts on modern youth coaching techniques. The seminar will benefit over sixty NPFL coaches, national team coaches, and other youth coaches from across the country.
