NPFL Eyes Spanish Tour for U-17 StarsNPFL Eyes Spanish Tour for U-17 Stars The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is seeking partnerships with Spanish clubs to arrange a tour for its selected U-17 stars. This initiative aims to provide training opportunities and test matches for talented young players from the 2024 NPFL Youth League. According to NPFL Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye, the league is particularly interested in collaborating with Spanish youth academies due to their renowned development programs. He cited examples of iconic Spanish players and the recent success of the national team as evidence of their excellence in youth football. To facilitate discussions on the partnership, Elegbeleye plans to visit Madrid and Seville in the coming weeks. The goal is to integrate outstanding NPFL youth players into Spanish programs, exposing them to diverse training methods and global standards. The NPFL also sees the tour as a potential financial boon for the clubs and players. A successful transfer for a player could net up to €500k (approximately N800m), which could significantly support club operations. The league intends to highlight the achievements of players who secure professional contracts with overseas clubs, demonstrating the potential financial benefits to the government and club owners. Selected players from the 2024 NPFL Youth League have already commenced camping at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja, with more batches expected to join soon.
Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye, said the league board is looking for Spanish clubs for the proposed tour of Spain by NPFL U-17 selected stars.
This, according to him, is geared towards creating avenues to expose players from the 2024 NPFL Youth League to top Spanish clubs on training tours and test matches.
In a recent meeting with the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Juan Ignacio Sell, the NPFL chief expressed readiness to partner with top youth clubs in Spain for the exposure and development of budding talents from Nigeria.
The 2024 NPFL Youth League was staged at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City in March, when Rivers United beat Katsina United 4-2 to win the title.
“It is on record that Spain has the best youth development program in Europe. The likes of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, and co. grew up through Spanish football academies. Another shining example is the current world sensation, Lamine Yamal. Also, with the recent success of their national team in the 2024 European Championship, the Spaniards are head and shoulders ahead, not forgetting Real Madrid’s triumph in the UEFA Champions League last season. Those go a long way in encapsulating our passion and NPFL’s interest in the proposed partnership,” Elegbeleye said via Hope Newspaper.
“This week, I hope to be in Madrid for discussions on how to integrate outstanding youths from Nigeria’s top league. Thereafter, I will be in Seville—one of the best places in Europe for youth programs—for the same purpose.
“The overall plan is to expand the opportunities of these NPFL players to better training under different technical officials and give them the choice of experiencing global standards as European leagues are interested in young talents.”
The second vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation also hinted at the potential financial gains for the players and their respective clubs.
“The long-term intention is to grow the financial base of the various NPFL clubs; if, for instance, a player can attract a transfer market value of about €500k, that is about N800m. A serious club administrator can use such money to prosecute two league seasons successfully.
“We will always publicize any player who is successful in getting a professional contract so that the government, who owns the clubs, will be aware. Imagine a club getting two of such players every other year; it will not require government financial support anymore. Clubs are supposed to generate money for the government, not the current absurd narrative.”
Some of the players selected from the 2024 NPFL Youth League have already begun camping at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja, with other batches expected to join soon.
