European football market tilting toward Africa, Nigeria — FIFA Agent

A football world governing, FIFA, licensed agent, Brian Paramore, says the European football market is gradually tilting towards Africa and Nigeria in particular because of the abundant talents discovered here.

Paramore, a Director at Diamond Sports Academy U.K., made the assertion on Wednesday while reviewing the one week football trials it conducted in Lagos with our reporter.

Paramore told our reporter that Nigeria possessed youngsters who could take the world of football by storm in the nearest future, adding: “My experience with Nigerian footballers convinced me about their prospects’’.

It was reported that Diamond Sports Academy U.K. in partnership with Ezeani Football Academy, Nneni, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra, conducted the football trials at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The one week trials, which had no fewer than 200 players from across Nigeria, aimed at scouting for budding talents are largely successful.

On the success it recorded, Paramore said he had pleasant surprises about Nigerian players he had worked with.

“The bit of the background is that European football market is gradually tilting towards Africa and Nigeria in particular because of the abundant talents discovered here. We scout for players from here.

“The first thing is that I had a pleasant surprise on my visit to Nigeria. The quality in the junior level during this competition is great and commendable.

“I think Diamond Sports will be looking to repeat these trials every six months based on what we have seen at the trials concluded on April 21.

“We have good feedbacks from the official scouts sent over to watch by the European clubs that we are working with. It was such a positive feedback,’’ he said.

Paramore said that European clubs were already working to recruit the outstanding players in the tournament to their various clubs.

“We have some couple of clubs calling us during the trials to get update and they have positive review as well. The club scouts are in Lagos already to take the outstanding players.

“We have Russian clubs and some Belgian clubs. It is going well for us. As an agent, you will always aim for optimal result, so, we have been able to surpass the target.

“It is a target that we set for ourselves to make sure we are all working and playing in the same direction to achieve that goal.

“I know that a very good number of players are attracting interest with a view to move to Europe in summer. We will also consider having the trials in other states in Nigeria.

Paramore said that he was satisfied with the technical competence of the local coaches of the grassroots football in Nigeria.

“Above all, I am satisfied with the technical competence of various coaches that we have worked with; the way they set their teams out for matches is fantastic.

“There may not be a perfect situation because this is the first edition of the talent hunt competition and we will make adjustments on the practical and logistics to make it smoother.

“This facility, Teslim Balogun Stadium, is also good and I am impressed even for it to be considered to house Barcelona Academy means something,’’ he said.