Top 10 Best Football Academies in Nigeria

Nigeria is one of the African countries with a strong sense of involvement and connection to the sport of football. Nigerians adore the sport, as seen by their unwavering commitment and participation at both the national and international levels.

It is a nice thing if you intend to learn football in Nigeria as there are numerous football academies where you can study how to become a professional footballer.

Also, joining any of the top best football academies in Nigeria will greatly aid you in accelerating the rate at which you develop a solid profession. Therefore, this article will guide you on the top 10 best football academies in Nigeria to enrol in.

 

What Is a Football Academy?

Football has an academy that trains potential footballers in exceptional football skills. It’s similar to attending a higher university to earn an academic degree.

For example, just because you’re talented in mechanical engineering, doesn’t mean you’re a mechanical engineer.

You can’t be addressed as a full-fledged engineer until you’ve attended university or college and earned a degree in that field. This scenario is also similar in Football.

A football academy is a facility that is dedicated to the grooming, training, and development of young or aspiring football players. It’s basically a football training school where young players can learn how to play the game.

Football clubs establish football academies to help develop these aspiring players for their team, which they will be trained to play for once they reach the coach’s criteria.

Top 10 Best Football Academies In Nigeria

As a lover of football, it is advisable you enrol in a football academy, which is critical for the development of young football players. There are lots of football academies in Nigeria that provide this training. The top 10 best Football academies are listed below in no particular order.

1. PEPSI Football Academy

The first on our list of the top 10 best Football academies in Nigeria is the PEPSI Football Academy. Kashimawo Laloko created PEPSI Football Academy in November 1992, located at Agege, Lagos.

PEPSI Football Academy is Nigeria’s most well-known football academy. The academy has a good reputation and has already produced a number of players who have gone on to become worldwide stars.

The academy is committed to assisting young, talented, and competent players in furthering their careers and achieving international success.

The academy’s principal sponsor is the Nigerian PEPSI Company. This Football Academy has 14 training centres and trains over 3,000 young players ranging from ages 6 to 18 years old.

Mikel Obi, Sunday Mba, Joseph Akpala, Osaze Odemwingie, Isaac Promise, and Elderson Echiejile are some of the players who graduated from PEPSI Academy and are now extremely successful.

PEPSI Football Academy also provides scholarship opportunities for its participants in the United Kingdom to enhance their education and sporting careers. The academy now has around 54 coaches.

The registration form for children aged 5 to 14 is merely 6,000 naira while that for 15 years upwards cost 12,000 naira. If you want to join the PEPSI Football Academy, you will need to submit some documentation. The original birth certificate, application passports, and medical reports are among these documents.

They’ve been so successful in recent years that they’ve influenced the careers of numerous well-known athletes.

2. KWARA State Football Academy (KWFA)

Kwara State Football Academy, based in Ilorin, Kwara State, is our number 2 pick on the top 10 best football academies in Nigeria. the Kwara State Football Academy was established in 2005 by the former state governor of Kwara, Bukola Sakari to empower the state’s youth and it is still owned and maintained by the Kwara state government.

Players from all over the country train at the Kwara State Football Academy. The academy currently has seven coaches, all of whom were once international footballers.

Talented and dedicated young players are given the opportunity to receive a free formal education while training as professional footballers at the Kwara State Football Academy.

At Kwara Football Academy, students are exposed to Humanities and Social Sciences, Technical and Vocational Studies, General and Applied Mathematics, and Natural Sciences.

In addition, the training school provides its students with a full on-campus boarding experience so that they can focus better and participate in more activities.

The Kwara State Football Academy has a capacity of 200 students and accepts children aged 13 to 21 years old. The cost of the registration form for new players at the academy is 7,000 naira with school fees ranging from N41,000 to N106,000 depending on whether you are a day or boarding student.

West African School Certificate Examinations (WAEC), International General Certificate of Secondary School Education (IGCSE), National Examination Certificate (NECO), Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and International Baccalaureate are among the exams that players of the Kwara State Football Academy must take.

3. College of Football in Abuja

Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, is home to one of the country’s top 10 best football academies, the Abuja Football College of AFC. It was founded in 2012 by a former FIFA Licensed Instructor and Haruna Abba in collaboration.

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. The training site is in Wuse, Abuja Municipals Bwari, and can easily accommodate 120 pupils.

The educational program is implemented in the United States. Here, the application fee is simply N20,000. AFC defeated Pepsi Academy and Kwara State Academy to win the FCT 2013 under 20 unity football championships.

In July 2013, Abuja Football College advanced to the semifinals of the Croatia soccer tournament, defeating professional clubs such as FC Zagreb and Croatia’s under-21 national team.

Wendy Cameron is the principal of the academy’s college, which manages the USA educational program.

4. Midas Soccer Academy ( MSA)

On our list of top 10 best football academies is Midas Soccer Academy (MSA). It is based in Ipaja, Lagos State, and was created in December 2006.

The major goal of forming the training group is to continue uncovering young talents and developing them into skilled and experienced players and to develop outstanding athletes who would represent Nigeria in international tournaments.

The Nigerian Football Federation and the Lagos State Football Association have both registered and supported Midas Soccer Academy (MSA).

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. They are connected to a global network of international football clubs and management organizations.

They work with scouts across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Americas, and promote their talented graduates to them hence 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.

5. Papilo Football Academy

Papilo Football Academy was established in 2001 and is now one of Nigeria’s top best football academies. Nwankwo Kanu, a prominent, experienced, and retired Nigerian player started the academy.

During his career, the founder played for Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Portsmouth, among others. Nwankwo Kanu not only played for renowned and well-known clubs, but he also won numerous medals. Furthermore, his training crew is well-known and well-organized.

Over 10 players have been successfully transferred to play abroad by the Papilo Football Academy. Joel Obi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali, and Stanley Okoro are among these players.

The application fee for Papilo Football Academy is only $12,500. The academy’s mission aligns with Kanu Nwankwo’s professional path, as the Arsenal icon was raised in a similar environment.

The academy has a unique affiliation with Leeds United Football Club in the United Kingdom. As a result, they are considered one of Nigeria’s greatest football academies.

The academy is housed at Kanu Nwankwo’s private estate in Egbu, Owerri, Imo State. Top coaches such as Gary Smith and Bryan Robinson have worked with young footballers at this facility.

6. Barcelona Football Academy.

Among the top best football academies in Nigeria, Barcelona Football Academy is another renowned and effective training company. Children between the age of 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. FCBEscola is the name of the training group. For its players, FCBEscola heavily relies on FC Barcelona’s tactics and training practices.

Over 400 footballers from all throughout the country make up the Barcelona Football Academy. The registration fee is N13,500, and the registration facility is located in Surulere, Lagos, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Center.

If you’ve always been fascinated by Barcelona’s football approach and tactics, attending this academy will give you an inside look at how things are done at the international club level. It’s one of Nigeria’s greatest football academies, and it gives you a unique opportunity to witness and learn how Barca’s DNA operates.

7. Chelsea Football Academy

Do you want to be a professional soccer player someday? The Chelsea School, on the other hand, is a prestigious institution to which you should aspire. However, it is situated in London (the UK).

Chelsea said in 2012 that it was aiming to create a soccer academy in the country. Hearing the revelation, people from all 36 states were ecstatic. It sounded more like a makeshift camp, though. And it appears that you’ll have to come to London if you want to join the official Chelsea soccer school for girls or boys.

8. The International Sports Academy ( Edusco Sports Academy)

The International Sports Academy is also known as Edusko Football Academy. Chief Segun Odegbami created the training company in 2007. A well-known retired Nigerian player is the company’s creator. For its players, the International Athletics Academy blends academic and sports learning.

In addition to their football instruction, the group’s students can get a high school diploma. Apart from football, the international sports academy also offers basketball, tennis, and athletics as options for its students.

The academy has two sites, Lagos and Ogun State. The academy also provides full-time, fully residential SS1 to SS3 science, art, and business programs, as well as learning facilities such as laboratories, libraries, and other resources. The football academy acknowledges your application.

9. Lagos Tigers Football Club

Lagos Tigers FC, based in Lekki, Lagos State, was founded in 2012. The academy educates young players ranging in age from 3 to 15. The Lagos Tigers develop and support good sportsmanship, discipline, confidence, and honesty among their players on a daily basis.

The staff makes it a point to thoroughly analyze and comprehend each player’s strengths, as well as how to improve them through technical training. Lagos Tigers FC operates with the ideals of kingship, integrity, confidence, and knowledge.

The training group currently has over 200 members. Little. It is one of the top 10 best football academies in Nigeria greatest with a track record of producing young, promising players. It accepts both boys and girls.

10. SIAONE Soccer Academy

Samson Siasia, a Super Eagles legend, and coach founded the SIAONE Soccer Academy located at Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital territory. The SIAONE Soccer Academy is now Nigeria’s premier football training school.

The training club’s major objective is to give outstanding basic and advanced education in a quiet and safe atmosphere where players may have a fun learning experience that will prepare them for life’s challenges as well as professional football challenges.

SIAONE Soccer Academy is continuously on the lookout for the best available football talent in order to fully develop them as individuals and, as a result, as professional players.

From a young age, the academy trains and develops both team and individual abilities of promising footballers in order for them to become professional football players when they are older.

The academy also strives to continue developing players and individuals so that they can comprehend the technical and tactical components of football as it is played at the top level. The acceptable age range is 2 to 15.

Benefits of a Football Academy

Football academies will help you improve your potential and teach you how to collaborate with your colleagues. Even if you are a naturally gifted football player, you will need a coach or a mentor to help you practice and show you how to make the necessary adjustments at the appropriate times.

As an aspiring athlete, the knowledge you will learn from a football academy will catapult you to glory, not your natural abilities. You will learn devotion, hard work, teamwork, and other skills that will help you succeed in athletics; talent alone will not get you there.

Football’s great worth and relevance can be attributed to a variety of factors. In terms of entertainment value, the game is excellent for both players and spectators.

Players are fueled by their intense energy and passion to be declared champions; viewers, on the other hand, enjoy cheering on their favorite teams, watching matches with their loved ones, sharing their passion for the game, and feeling delighted.

In addition, when it comes to the financial side of football, it is enormous. Sponsorships, the sale of kits, and tickets, among other things, generate revenue. Football is a sport that is both entertaining and lucrative.

How to Enroll in a Nigerian Football Academy

Are you interested in developing your talent by enrolling in one of Nigeria’s football academies? Here’s how to get started.

Some Nigerian football schools have websites where you may obtain an application form, print it out, fill it and submit it to the website or in person at the training facility while some football academies do not have websites where you can obtain an application form, but you will be given a location where you can get one.

Many of these academies need candidates to provide the following information when completing an application form:

1. Obtain a photocopy of your original birth certificate.
2. Passport of you and your parent or guardian
3. A copy of your school’s grades ( Certificate of the highest level of education)
4. Certified copies of your medical records
5. At the time of registration, eligible applicants must be accompanied by their parents or guardians.

While some football academies in Nigeria have no registration costs, some do, and while some academies will give you training equipment, others will want you to furnish your own.

Procedure for Establishing a Football Academy in Nigeria

1. Decide on a name for your football academy and a logo that will reflect what you intend for your proposed academy.
2. Select Appropriate Members for the Management Board that are qualified for key administrative positions based on their experience and accomplishment.
3. Become a registered member of the Nigeria Football Association.
4. Purchase Supplies for Your Football Academy such as boots, jerseys, first aid kit, and necessary items needed at the onset.
5. Attract players to your academy. Focus on those who are talented, dedicated, enthusiastic about making football a career
6. Assign a Training Area for Players. That is, do your best to find a suitable field with all the necessary amenities, as that pitch may serve as both your training ground and your home pitch (during football competitions).
7. Begin competing in local events.

If you meet all of the aforementioned requirements for establishing a football academy in Nigeria, you are then entitled to enter local competitions with your academy.

Wrap Up

If you are passionate about football and want to become a professional and efficient player, you should pay close attention to football academies.

Football academies aid in the development of teamwork skills, broadening your horizons, ensuring discipline, and making your trip to greatness as a player easier.

In Nigeria, there are several great football academies to choose from, and it is best to go with the best. This article has discussed the top 10 best Football academies you can enroll in.