The Gbandi-Ojiodu Diaspora Football Outreach marks a significant milestone as 12 talented individuals selected during the U-20 Inter-Community Diaspora Street Football Tournament embark on the second phase of their journey to Europe.
Clement Temile, former national pro and Director of Temile Football Foundation, welcomes them at the National Stadium arena in Lagos for pre-European trials.
These young talents, chosen from Akwukwu Igbo, Onicha Olina, Illah, and Isele Uku teams, showcased their skills during the tournament held at Akwukwu-Igbo, Delta State. The Lagos camp, hosted by Temile Football Academy, signifies the initial step into the professional and European football arena, where their skills, discipline, and physical and mental fitness will be honed.
Hon. Kenneth Gbandi, Global Director for Gbandi-Ojiodu Diaspora Football Outreach, underscores the project’s focus on discovering grassroots talent, fostering competition, team building, and promoting healthy lifestyles and peaceful co-existence. The philosophy of “Don’t give me fish but teach me how to fish” guides the talent hunt.
Ambrose Henry Ojiodu, Head of Global Talent Hunt, and co-initiator of GO-Diaspora football outreach, joins the talents in Lagos for a week-long camp while Andrew Uwe and Hon. Gbandi will monitor live from Europe.
Together with Temile Football Academy, the GO Team will be conducting further screening, skills tests, and assessments of physical and mental fitness. The camp acts as a competence and transit center, refining raw talents and providing additional training they need and traveling logistics.
The Gbandi-Ojiodu Diaspora Football Outreach team extends gratitude again to the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Chief (Sir) Monday Onyeme for his interest, vision, and support in football development in Delta State, and to Chief (Mrs) Shimite Bello, Special Adviser, Trade and Export, for her vision is supporting the talent hunt program of Delta youths which she considered valuable skills transfer and Export to Europe.
