Odeyinka Ibrahim, chairman of Shuffle Select FA has revealed that the institution is ready to give talented grassroots youngsters the platform to grow and develop into world class players in commitment to bringing youths out of the street.
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The former footballer who is now an astute business allayed that the academy which has produced several players across Europe has tasked itself with the pledge and responsibility to give platforms to players who have the potential to go higher in thier football pursuit.
He made this know in an exclusive laid it all bare with Sports247.ng earlier today.
Speaking on the initiative behind the name of the academy, he revealed that Shuffle is his nickname given to him when he was playing so the select is about selecting the best players so mixed together is the shuffle select which started back in 2017 and now, it’s already five years old.
“The aim is to pick good players off the street, give them the opportunity to exhibit thier talent to see how they can go far in life and give them the opportunity they need.”
“The mode of entry is free and we are all on social media platforms, interested players can send us a DM and we reply. What we do is that we go outside to see talent and when we see them, we invite them and watch, if they are good, we keep and if they are not, we let go,” he emphasized.
“For you to be part of the team, you have to be very good and you have to be very serious as well.”
“What we do for players recruitment is that we have agents around the country who recommend good players, from Ilorin, Kaduna, Abuja, Ibadan and Lagos, so Lagos is like the base.”
“We are more particular about football and education and not really the trading of players to the Nigeria leagues and all, so what we do is that when we see a player, we have to make sure that he’s educated and learned as well.”
“We like to mix education and football together because we have a school in England, Brooke House College and after some few years, they go for trials in Europe.”
“Just last month, we had one of our players that signed in Lithuania, second division and he started with Shuffle Select academy and he went there, spent two years in England and he has signed a professional contract and he has his degree already.”
“We also have a player who plays in Lithuania, played Nigeria U-20, Temitayo Erekwu, we look for the best legs and make sure we give them the opportunity we can,” he buttressed.
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“Once the players are picked, we take care of them because for me to bring in a player, it means they are good and for anyone to invest on them, it means they have something special.”
“We don’t focus on old players, we have thirteen years old playing the Ikeja League. We have fourteen and also fifteen, we work on young players and the youngest we have taken abroad is eleven years old, I don’t like working with old guys but the youths, young ones because they listen and they also want to learn as well.”
On his players participation in the national team – “Nobody hates a good player and everybody wants to work with a good player. With the way I work, no sentiments. If you are good, I will pick you, I’m concerned about the way I work and what I deliver, that’s the most important thing.”
“What the Ikeja Divisional League are doing is creative, giving us the platform and opportunity to play. Imagine this platform is not given, where will all these boys be?”
“They might be on the street doing something illegal but with this platform, it gives them the chance to prove themselves, pursue their dreams and I will say kudos to the League chairman and his team,” he concluded in big applause to the league organizers in which the team is currently participating in.
