By Salifu Usman, Abuja
Former Nigerian international Emmanuel Babayaro has commended organisers of Rising Stars Football League (RSFL), saying it is an amazing initiative that will bring back the glamour and thrillingness of grassroot football in the country.
He gave the commendation while speaking yesterday in Abuja at the press conference organised by the organisers ahead of the league’s ‘Super 4 Final’ fixed for Friday, September 27, 2024, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, featuring a thrilling clash between Future Guaranteed FA and New Dawn FC.
Babayaro, who was a member of Nigeria’s gold medal winning team at the 1996 Olympics, however urged the organisers of RSFL to make it a holistic development of football talents.
“This is an amazing idea that will help bring back the glamour and thrilling moments of grassroot football we were used to during our time. But it has to be a holistic development that will include mentorship of the talents that will be discovered from the competition.
“The talents need mentorship on how to relate with senior players before them, media, make use of their money and so on.
“We need to support this initiative and that is why we are all here, and on Friday, I’ll be at the National Studium again to give my support to this laudable programmme,” Babayero said.
Earlier, the project coordinator of the league, Ifeanyi Kama, said RSFL has come to stay as a platform for young players at the grassroot to showcase their talents and groom them to become better people in the society.
According to him the winners of the Super 4 Final will smile to the bank with a whopping sum of eleven million naira (N11 million),out of which five million (N5m) will goes to the community of the winning team, while the team will pocket six million (N6m) only.
“The RSFL is not just about football—it’s about creating opportunities for our youth to become better people, and in turn, give back to their society. We believe in the power of sports to shape futures and communities,” Kama said.
Top scouts and coaches expected to grace the final of the league on Friday in Abuja
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