Football Is Lucrative If Well Managed - Akinola Martins

Football Is Lucrative If Well Managed - Akinola Martins

By Niyi Busari

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ojaja II Football Academy, Akinola Martins has spoken of the importance of grassroots football in uncovering exceptional stars of tomorrow, through his project, the Ojaja II Football Academy, Ile-Ife.

The young astute football administrator, who is also the General Coordinator of the annual Ojaja II Principals Cup told one of Nigeria's foremost Sports Whatsapp Group, Family United by Football, (FUBF) that football is very lucrative if well managed and also a springboard to the success of many young talents in the society.

He maintained that his guiding force towards the development of grassroots football is to nurture talents, by giving back to the society and making sure the kids realise their dreams of becoming soccer stars in the nearest future.

"Football is lucrative if well managed, millions of Naira can be made if the structures and talents are on ground.

"Football is a money spinning avenue, if well planned, benefits will be reaped from it. Discovery of young talents and pushing them through to achieve their aims as footballers is key to us.

"At Ojaja II Football Academy, we encourage young ones to combine education with football and that's one of the reasons we began the Ojaja II Principals Cup in 2019.

"The Football Academy is working in partnership with international football clubs where they can have subsidiary through Ojaja Football Academy, we would be their face in Nigeria and supply inputs into their clubs, due to the Covid 19 ravaging the world, our plans are on hold but immediately after the pandemic, the ball will be set rolling," he told FUBF.