Former national team U-20 Coach, Elder Samuel Abimbola has lauded Kenneth Omeruo’s selfless, humanitarian gesture in the wake of the Kenneth Omeruo Academy establishment which is aimed at promoting and developing grassroots players, youths with potentials and groom them to the very top of their career both locally and for the global stage.
Samuel Abimbola was at the helm of the U-20 football affairs in 2009 and was the man that discovered Kenneth Omeruo, Ramon Azeez, and many others and now he’s a part of his protégé establishment in giving life and hope to youths with talents and potentials without favoritism.
Following the conclusion of a scouting program by the Abuja based academy in which two of the academy players were picked by Leganese, where Omeruo currently plays for, Samuel responded to fielded questions asked by journalists as he reveals his enthusiasm over the coveted action of the defender, youths future while also challenging others at the peak to do more.
Where Kenneth Omeruo started from when he was discovered in U-17, good to know that the man in question who did the job far back in 2009 talking about Elder Samuel Abimbola, Coach of the national team U-17, U-20. Today the Kenneth Omeruo Academy trial began, Coach, please give us your take about the player you discovered and presently is starting a team
I just want to thank God that this is happening while I am alive and am not disappointed because from Day 1 I had contact with Kenneth, I knew that he is going to places and this is a guy that the river of kindness is flowing through his heart so am not surprised that he’s trying to give back to what has given him fame. I want to use him as a role model to others that when you climb across the big rivers, don’t forget those that are still waiting for the canoe and that’s what Omeruo is trying to do. I will liken it to the bible, ten lepers were cured by Jesus Christ, only one came back to give thanks and that’s what Omeruo is doing. A lot of them has made it and done a lot of great things but how many of them are coming back. Some of them are keeping girls in hotel wasting money on Lamborghini and forgotten that a day is coming the younger ones they need to have taken care of that will be looking up to them prayerfully and all are leaving them. I want to congratulate him for this step and the path he has taken, God almighty will back him up and see him through in Jesus name.
Using the biblical analogy, how many players have you discovered during the days of Omeruo and haven’t really shown up?
Omeruo himself is a living witness because I go as a grassroots man to Portharcourt and a lot of places. I can count out of the old U-17, If am not been too much, I can count up to twelve detected talk of Ajagun, Omoijabo, Ramon Azeez, Ganiyu Ogungbe, a lot of them like that and which all of them are in high places now to God be the glory but I can tell you that this young man has been the person. He will call me sometimes when I least expected, when he called and told me about the program if I would like to be there, joyfully with every enthusiasm in me. I lost my mother-in-law, I couldn’t go because I felt I have to be on ground to honor this young man that have given back to society with what he has done
This project by Kenneth Omeruo that you are supervising, what does it mean to these young ones out there?
It means that he’s giving them life, future. It’s beyond Omeruo himself, he’s helping Nigeria to do what the country ought to do. He is taking problems out of the street, giving life and hope to parent and everybody. I just want to have a way to discuss with this boy that if he’s trying to do it now, they should have the mind that a time is coming, give back time because if he hasn’t dedicated himself, determined, without target, he won’t be where he is today. For them to have this platform, it is for them to grab it with all they have and prayerfully follow it so that they will make him happy. He’s not expecting money from them but he’s expecting that when he’s sitting on the couch, he will say God has used me to touch the life of this person.
Are you satisfied with what you have seen so far today?
Since have been here three days ago, I have seen some wonderful boys that in the next three months when you see them, you will be asking where they have seen this set of boys.
2009 and 2020 is a generational gap, how would you rate your team that won silver for the country right here in Abuja to the current U-17 and teams in the country?
It is on record that when you refuse to plan, you have plan to fail. The preparation for that U-17 is dynamic, it’s so serious that we can beat our chest and say there was no league player in that team. There were all picked from grassroots and we nurtured them to stardom. I want to thank God almighty on behalf of the head coach, John Obuh, that today in our set, we were able to produce over 12 boys that made it to the Super Eagles, not just back benchers but those who are playing. So for me, I want to talk about what I know, I am not in the present team and it will be very bad of me now judging them. It is the public that will determine that but during my team we took boys based on merited performances.
