Many young people today in Nigeria are lovers of football and desire to apply to and be accepted into the best football academy and clubs in Nigeria and in turn play for the international leagues that are actively recruiting players.
Do you want to discover the top best football academies in Nigeria?
Nigeria is one of the African countries with a strong sense of participation and commitment to the world of football.
Top 10 Best Football Academy In Nigeria
1. Pepsi Football Academy (PFA)
One of the Best Football academies in Nigeria is the Pepsi Football Academy which was founded in November 1992 by Kashimawo Laloko as a football school and is headquartered in the Agege Stadium (courtesy of the Lagos State Sports Council).
It received full support from Pepsi in 1994 and has been known as the Pepsi Football Academy since then.
The Pepsi Football Academy has evolved into one of Nigeria’s best football academies over the years.
The Pepsi Football Academy now has over 3,000 registered kids ranging in age from 6 to 18 years old and runs year-round from 14 different training centers with 54 expert coaches across Nigeria.
Mikel John Obi, Sunday Mba, Obi Eze Tobi, Dominic Chatto, Echiabhi Okodugha, Joseph Akpala, Uwa Elderson Echiéjilé, Conquest Osaroigwe, Soga Sambo, and Yinka Adedeji are among the footballers who began their careers at the academy.
The Academy launched a UK scholarship scheme in 2006, which has so far awarded scholarships to 13 players. Michael Oluwatosin was the first to get the award.
Notable players
- Mikel John Obi
- Joseph Akpala
- Sunday Mba
Headquarters
Agege Stadium, Agege, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Phone: +234(0)8023108355
The Pepsi Football Academy is one of the best football academies in Nigeria that was established to help the future generation to be among elites in the world of football
2. Kwara Football Academy (KFA)
In 2005, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, opened the Kwara Football Academy (KFA), an initiative of the then Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
The focus of the Academy is on professional growth. It is open to everyone, regardless of where they are from. The Academy currently has seven coaches, all of whom have coaching qualifications and are former international football players.
The Kwara Football Association was founded as a private effort with the help of the state government. It was created as a center for youth development, with football functioning as a platform for empowerment.
The Academy ensures a comfortable and unique environment for young people to stay away from drugs, violence, and other harmful activities. KFA, which now has 81 students, aims to prepare players between the ages of 13 and 21 to compete favorably with their international competitors.
KFA players have taken part in tryouts with several international clubs. Two of the players were invited to try with Chelsea Football Club in England in 2009, while two more were invited to trial with Portsmouth Football Club in England in 2010. Some of the Academy’s graduates are currently playing for various clubs both in and outside of Nigeria.
Ahmed Abdul-Taofik, who plays for FK Ventspils in the Latvian Premier League, four players from Kwara United, and four players from Bukola Babes Football Club are among them. Three KFA students were members of the Nigerian U-17 team that won silver at the U-17 World Cup in 2009.
The elite group combines football with management studies, while the junior and intermediate groups combine academics and football.
Kwara Football Academy (KFA) is one of the best football academies in Nigeria that was established to help the future generation to be among elites in the world of football
3. Papilo Football Academy (PFC)
Papilo Academy was established in the year 2000. It was founded with the goal of grooming and training young players to become full-fledged professional football players. The owner, who is a product of an academy, was motivated to start the academy to find raw talents from our communities, much like the objective of the owner, who is a product of an academy.
Nwankwo Kanu, one of Nigeria’s finest footballers, owns the football academy. He has won multiple medals while playing for Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Portsmouth. Nwankwo Kanu is a UNICEF ambassador and the founder of the Kanu Heart Foundation. He is a retired soccer player who played as a striker.
It’s worth noting that the academy has produced several players who have gone on to play for the national team since its beginnings. Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali, and a large number of others are among them. In addition, the majority of the academy players were pumped into the main Papilo Football Club team. In just three (3) years, the team was promoted to the Nigerian National League (NNL) division.
Papilo Football Club has formed a partnership with Leeds United Football Club in the United Kingdom. About four (4) players from Papilo Academy were invited to Leeds United Football Club for training in the year 2018, and the progress continued in 2019. The team competes in League One of the Nationwide League. Vandrezzer Oil Services also formed a partnership with Papilo Football Club.
Major achievements include:
In 2016, Papilo Football Club won the State FA Cup.
In 2016, Papilo Football Club was promoted from Nationwide One to the National League.
Finalist in the state FA Cup two (2) times.
Finally, the academy has exceeded all expectations and will continue to grow to propel it into the best football academy in Nigeria and the Premier League shortly.
4. Barcelona Football Academy (Barca Academy)
Among the greatest football academies in Nigeria, Barcelona Football Academy is another renowned and effective training football academy. Only children from 5 to 18 are permitted to join the program. Barcelona Football Academy is based in Lagos and is passionate about developing exceptional young people, honing their skills, and putting them on the world stage. Barca Academy is the name of the training group. For its players, Barca Academy heavily relies on FC Barcelona’s tactics and training practices.
Around 400 footballers from throughout the country make up the Barcelona Football Academy. Barca Academy charges N13,500 for the registration form.
5. Midas Soccer Academy (MSA)
Another excellent Nigerian football academy is Midas Soccer Academy (MSA). It is located in Ipaja, Lagos State, and was formed in December 2006. The major goal of forming the training group is to continue to find youthful talents and refine them into skilled and experienced players.
The Nigerian Football Federation and the Lagos State Football Association have both registered and endorsed Midas Soccer Academy (MSA). The training group’s goal is to develop outstanding athletes who will represent Nigeria in international tournaments.
Many graduates of the Midas Soccer Academy are already playing for foreign clubs. The training group includes all of the essential equipment to develop young players to become professional footballers.
As a Midas player, your profile will be seen by a large number of football agents and scouts from all around the world, and you will have the opportunity to participate in trials and tours all over the world. Midas Soccer Academy (MSA) charges a normal enrollment fee of #77, 000 only.
6. Abuja Football Academy
Gabriele Volpi founder and majority shareholder of Orlean Invest Holding founded Abuja Football College in January of 2012. The major goal of establishing this academy is to identify and nurture Nigerian football talent.
Abuja Football College is dedicated to training young people, particularly those from low-income families, into football experts. The training school’s main training center is at the National Stadium in Abuja. Owerri and Lagos are two other training venues. About 120 kids are trained in Abuja Football College.
7. Buruj Sport Academy
Buruj Sports Academy was founded in 2008 under the name “Buruj Football Club,” after successfully registering and affiliating with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on July 14, 2008, and the Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) on July 16, 2008. The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) later incorporated it on October 22, 2008.
Buruj Football Club was renamed Buruj Sports Academy (BSA) in 2013 as a term to engage in a multi-sports coaching initiative and was properly registered and accredited on October 24, 2013. We have stayed true to the values we established at the outset, with maximum sporting ambitions currently extending from football, running, basketball, cycling, table tennis, and lawn tennis games, as well as participation in other major sports.
8. AS Roma Academy Abuja
The AS Roma Academy Abuja is part of the AS Roma Academy official network of football schools around the world, open to all boys and girls aged 5 to 17, who want to learn the methodologies and training techniques that have inspired talented players like Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Florenzi, and Lorenzo Pellegrini.
Our AS Roma International Academy program, which is known across the world for the quality of its youth team, represents our commitment to teaching young players in sports and education while also imparting the club’s work philosophy and values to the rest of the world.
We are a year-round, high-performance football academy committed to both boys and girls aged 5 to 17, offering the opportunity to master the club’s training approaches and practices.
Every player will be helped to attain their maximum potential by AS Roma’s technical staff and specialized local coach while learning the training and educational method utilized by AS Roma’s Youth Sector.
9. Abuja Football College (AFC)
AFC was founded in January 2012 by Gabriel Newton, the founder and FIFA-licensed educator, and Haruna Abba.
The Abuja Football College (AFC) took an interest and won the FCT Federations glass, earning the right to represent Abuja at the national level.
They won the FCT 2013 under 20 solidarity football rivalry, defeating teams such as Pepsi Football Academy and Kwara State Football Institute.
In 2013, they advanced to the semi-finals of the Croatian soccer championship, defeating FC Zagreb and the Croatian under-21 national team.
The Academy preparation center in Wuse, Abuja Municipals Bwari, has a private room that can accommodate 120 students.
There is also a school connected to it, the principal of which is Wendy Cameron, and it runs the USA informative educational programs.
10. Pawas Soccer Academy (PSA)
Paul Wahab, the academy’s founder, and sole patron founded it in 2006. Wahab and International Sports Management Africa’ just signed a collaboration deal (ISMA).
The academy is also represented in Europe by Phil Donaldson Badger, Chairman of Goldmine Consult UK. For players at the academy, Goldmine consult was able to secure many trial tests in the United Kingdom, Romania, and the United Arab Emirates.
PSA has also graduated 15 players who are now playing in the Nigeria Premier League and the Nigeria National League.
PSA is like a school, all coaches and trainers closely monitor players’ educational development. This is the reason Wahab insisted on recruiting top-class staff: Anthony Shan as a chief coach; Daniel Barry, trainer and Ajala Koronde, Instructor.
The academy’s training center is at Command secondary school Zaria Road Jos Plateau state. PSA admits players from 17 – 21 years but intends to expand its reach to talents between 6 – 16 years.
Conclusion
Nigeria is a country that recognizes the importance of sports. In the country, there are a number of football development centers where young players can enroll. There may be a football academy in your state that is close to you, and the top ten football academies in Nigeria are listed here.
