English Premier League (EPL) side, Southampton Football Club (SFC) and Team Nigeria UK are partnering with Olashore International School (OIS) in the discovery and nurturing of young football talent in Nigeria. In addition to this, they will be promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle for all young people through the sport of football.
The partnership has been established to help young talent understand the methodology, expertise and technical know-how of Southampton – a club reputed for grassroots sports development and famous for developing football stars like Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, and Oxlade Chamberlain, among others.
The three institutions will also be collaborating on providing youth with skills, knowledge, opportunities and resilience to maximise and reach their full potential of becoming globally active citizens and industry professionals.
According to the Principal/CEO of Olashore International School, Mr. Guy Cassarchis, we are delighted for this unique opportunity to work with Southampton Football Club UK and Team Nigeria UK as we launch the Olashore Football Academy on Thursday 3rd March 2022 at our School Stadium.
This partnership will benefit the children from Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Oyo States including students enrolled at Olashore International School. It will provide all students access to real-world, industry experience with professional coaching and development from Premier League coaching staff, access to the SFC player development curriculum, football clinics for young players and masterclasses for coaches, including a visit to Southampton FC for exclusive Player Development Camps.
Olashore students will also take part in research and knowledge exchange interventions with the club’s charitable arm, Saints Foundation, undertaking community-focused projects that deliver long-term impact in the local area.
As part of the launching for the Olashore International Football Academy and Development Programme, a number of football matches were played to mark the special occasion including the Oyo State Final of the Southampton FC Cup.
The Chairman, Olashore International School, Board of Governors, Prince Abimbola Olashore in his speech noted that, “This partnership is an affirmation of the school’s efforts in creating a sustainable platform for young aspiring footballers to realise their dreams and is also a noteworthy milestone in the school’s journey towards excellence”
“We are delighted for this unique opportunity to work with Southampton FC, one of the Premier League’s endearing brands who share our values for developing young sportspeople. We are also happy to be linked to Team Nigeria UK, who has continued to promote football at all levels across Nigeria and Africa”.
The event was attended by Chairman of the Board of Governors, Prince Abimbola Olashore, technical officials of Southampton FC UK, Team Nigeria UK and a delegation from the Nigerian Football Federation in Oyo and Osun State.
