By Laurel Ojo
Assistant Coach of Real Ifon Football Club, Atiku Saheed, has called for the organization of more grassroots football tournaments to aid the discovery of young talents in Ondo State and across Nigeria.
Saheed made this appeal shortly after his team defeated Orire Football Club 2–1 at Imade college football field in Owo, Ondo State, during the ongoing President Bola Tinubu Sports Festival organized by the Grassroots Movement for Tinubu Games.
He urged eminent personalities, philanthropists, and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to support and invest in regular regional sports competitions that would serve as a platform for talent identification and development.
According to him, consistent talent discovery initiatives would greatly assist both state and national coaches in selecting quality players capable of representing Ondo State and Nigeria replacing aged players in the national teams.