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Top 10 Best Football Academies In Nigeria 2023

In this article, we will be discusssing about best football academies in Nigeria.

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Football is arguably the most-loved sport in the world. Nigeria is indeed blessed with a lot of talented players but how come we only have a few being noticed? This has been a rhetorical question for a while.

However, this is probably because most of these talented players are not in the right football academy that has high chances of having them being profiled for better contracts. Thus, this post will unleash the top 10 best football academies in Nigeria.

Nigeria is one of the African countries with a great sense of participation and association with the game, football. Nigerians love the sport and they always show this via their extreme passion and participation both at the national and international levels.

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For you to have a chance of playing in Europe and other top leagues, you need to pass through a football academy. Many of the football clubs abroad come to scout talents in the best football academies in Nigeria.

Football academies are establishments that train or nurture the talents of young and upcoming footballers in other to make them footall professionals.

With so many football academies in igeria, one needs to get it right in choosing the best or one of the best to enhance good training/facility.

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Most of these football academies run a very cheap program structure making it affordable for youngsters as the registration fee of so many is as low as #6,000 for players between ages 5 and 14 years.

Hence, in a bid to guide you to the right path, let’s examine the top 10 best football academies in Nigeria.

Registration Costs of the Best Football Academies in Nigeria

Let us quickly look how much it would cost you to register for one of the best football academies in Nigeria.

The registration cost is a major determinant of which academy you choose for your child.

We understand how difficult it might be to find out these prices. As such, we have researched on your behalf. Check out the list below to find out the registration costs of the best football academies in Nigeria:

  • Pepsi Football Academy: N6,000 (players between ages 5 and 14 years), N12,000 (players from 15 years upward)
  • Kwara State Football Academy: N7,500
  • Midas Football Academy: N77,000
  • Papilo Football Academy: N12,500
  • Barcelona Football Academy Nigeria: N13,500

Take note that these prices are subject to change depending on several factors. However, football academies hardly change their registration costs. If there is any change, we will update this post so that you can be aware.

Top 10 Best Football Academies In Nigeria And Their Fees

There are several football academies in Nigeria. Aspiring to be a top footballer requires one going through the right steps over time.

One of such steps is attending the right football academy that has a high tendency of being noticed easily/quickly by notable clubs scouting agents.

Apparently, almost all football teams have their academy but they seem more ‘healthier’ than themselves while considering so many factors.

Hence, we shall take a look at the top 10 best football academy across the country, Nigeria

1. PEPSI Football Academy

This football academy has been around for quite a while as it was established by Kashimawo Laloko in 1992. It was only in 1994 that the academy gained the full backing of Pepsi. Since then, it has become “Pepsi Football Academy.”

The well-known foot academy providers talented youngsters with the opportunity to develop within the football industry via their facilities. Although based in Lagos at Agege Stadium, the academy has 14 centers across the country with over 3,000 students.

The academy has grown its reputation over the years for growing top football talents and has produced lots of players that have become international stars already. It is determined to help young and talented football players on their journey to becoming professionals.

PEPSI Football Academy claims that it trains over three thousand young players between the ages of six and eighteen.  Some of the players that graduated from PEPSI Academy and have become exceptionally successful now are Adeola Lanre Runsewe, Ambrose Vanzekin, Babajide Ogunbiyi, Derick Amadi, Echiabhi Okodugha, Edward Ofere, Emeka Opara, Ezekiel Bala, Femi Joseph, Isaac Promise, John Obi Mikel, Joseph Akpala, Kola Anubi, Onyekachi Apam, Rasheed Olabiyi, Soga Sambo, Solomon Okoronkwo, Yinka Adedeji.

PEPSI Football Academy also offers scholarship programmes for its players to further their academics and sports in the United Kingdom. Currently, the academy has about 54 coaches. The registration form for ages 5-14 costs six thousand naira only. For players age 15 and above, the registration form costs twelve thousand naira only. There are certain documents that you will need if you want to get into the PEPSI Football Academy. These documents include the original birth certificate, applicant passports, and medical reports. 

2. KWARA State Football Academy

The KWFA, as it is fondly called, was established by the Kwara State Government in 2005 to empower its youths. Kwara State Football Academy trains players from all over the country. It is a brainchild of Dr. Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State.

The football academy commenced operations with former Nigeria national team technical adviser Clemens Westerhof but is currently managed by a Swedish technical director, Paul Ashwonth. The academy has 7 other coaches who are former Nigeria international footballers with coaching certificates. The academy currently has about 200 students and enrols talented youngsters within the ages of 13 – 21 years.

At Kwara State Football Academy, talented and committed young players are allowed to acquire a formal education free while training as professional footballers. The exams that players of Kwara State Football Academy can write are 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(IB). Students are exposed to areas of studies such as Humanities and Social Sciences, Technical and Vocational Studies, General And Applied Mathematics, and Natural Sciences at Kwara Football Academy.

The registration form fee for new players at the academy is seven thousand five hundred naira only.

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3. Midas Soccer Academy (MSA)

The football academy is affiliated with the Nigeria Football Federation. It was established in December 2006. It is currently located in Ipaja, Lagos state.

The main purpose of creating the training group is to keep discovering young talents and refining them into well-experienced and proficient players.

Midas Soccer Academy (MSA) is well-registered and supported by the Nigerian Football Federation and Lagos State Football Association.

The vision of the training group is to produce top talents that will represent Nigeria in international competitions. Midas Football Academy is one of the most equipped in the country.

Many Midas Soccer Academy graduates are already playing for international clubs. The training group has the important and necessary facilities needed to build youngsters into professional footballers.

As a Midas player, your profile will always be viewed by numerous football agents and scouts all over the world and also, will give you the chance to participate in trials and tours all around the world.

The standard registration form fee to get into Midas Soccer Academy (MSA) is #77, 000 only. As such, it isn’t a surprise that the registration cost is on the high side. Upon registration, the player receives the following:

  • Midas Academy Application Form: N5,000
  • Compulsory Medical Fee: N15,000
  • Compulsory Yearly Coaching Fee: N35,000
  • Compulsory Midas Football Academy training Jersey: N5,000
  • Compulsory Midas Academy Uniform/Ceremonial Dress: N5,000
  • Compulsory ID Card: N2,000
  • Project Fee: N10,000

4. Abuja Football College

Abuja football college was established in December 2012 by Gabriel Newton who is also a FIFA licensed instructor, in partnership with Haruna Abba. The main aim of creating this academy is to discover and nurture football talents in Nigeria.

Abuja Football College is committed to developing young kids, especially the ones from financially challenged backgrounds to become football experts. The main training centre for the training school is located at National stadium Abuja. Other training locations are in Owerri and Lagos. Abuja Football college trains about 120 students. 

5. Papilo Football Academy

Papilo is the nickname of Kanu Nwankwo, arguably one of Nigeria’s brightest soccer talents. He set up the Papilo Football Academy in 2001 as one of his ways of giving back to society. Kanu Nwankwo was the captain of the Nigerian Dream Team that won the Gold Medal at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics. He also played at top clubs like Ajax FC, Inter Milan FC, and Arsenal winning the UEFA Champions League, English FA Cup, and English Premiership. Papilo Football Academy has mentored several bright talents that have represented Nigeria on the international stage. Some of them include Kelechi Iheanacho, Stanley Okoro, Joel Obi, and Chidiebere Nwakali. The academy has invested in top coaches to ensure that its players get the best training possible.

The academy has over 200 students in Kanu’s estate in Owerri. Papilo Football Academy has successfully transferred over ten players to play abroad. Some of these players are Joel Obi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali, and Stanley Okoro.  The admission form for Papilo Football Academy costs #12,500 only.

6. Barcelona Football Academy

Barcelona Football Academy is another popular and efficient training group among the best football academies in Nigeria. The group only allows young players between the age of 5 and 18. Barcelona Football Academy is situated in Lagos and is immensely interested in developing talented youngsters, improving their capabilities, and placing them on an international level.

Barcelona Football Academy Nigeria is an offshoot of one of the biggest football clubs in history, Barcelona FC of Spain. It is no secret that Barcelona FC has one of the best training academies in the world. The club has extended the frontiers of its training system to different parts of the world including Nigeria.

The training group is commonly known as FCBEscola. FCBEscola majorly utilizes the FC Barcelona methods and training styles for its players. Barcelona Football Academy has about 400 players from all around the country. The registration form fee for FCBEscola is #13,500.

7. The International Sports Academy [Otherwise Known as Edusko football academy]

The International Sports Academy is also known as Edusko football academy. The training group was founded by Chief Segun Odegbami in 2007. The founder is a popular retired Nigerian footballer. The International Sports Academy combines academic and sports learning for its players. The student of the group can get a secondary school certificate in addition to their football training. Apart from football, the international sports academy also allows its students to learn other sports such as basketball, tennis, and athletics. 

The academy centres around various games with the likes of b-ball, tennis and others being made available. It enrols youths from all parts of the country as they are placed under professional tutelage to bring out the very best in them. It is the first and only multi-sports secondary school for young boys and girls with an interest and passion for sports.

8. Lagos Tigers FC

Lagos Tigers FC was established in 2012 and is based in Lekki, Lagos State. The academy trains young players between the age of 3-15 years. Lagos Tigers consistently fosters and encourages good sportsmanship, discipline, and build confidence and integrity. The group ensures that it studies and understands each player’s strengths and how to improve them with its technical training. Lagos Tigers FC works with the values, KICK- kingship, Integrity, Confidence, and Knowledge.

The football club is a rapidly growing soccer school based in Lekki and Gbagada. The soccer school began with just five members but now currently has over 200 students. It is believed that if the enthusiasm for sports is generally heightened, the number would greatly increase.

9. Chelsea Football Academy, Nigeria

The London club has an academy to groom youngsters in Nigeria as they have professional instructors/trainers to tutor their students. It is however situated in London (the U.K), indicating that one will have to travel to London for enrollment. If you really desire to play the football game at an elevated level, then Chelsea football academy should be one of the best to consider.

10. SIAONE Soccer Academy

SIAONE Soccer Academy was founded by Super Eagles Legend and coach, Samson Siasia. The training club is located in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital territory. SIAONE Soccer Academy is presently the best football training school in Nigeria. 

The main mission of the training club is to provide excellent basic and advanced instruction, in a peaceful and safe environment, where players can have an enjoyable learning experience that will prepare them for the challenges they face in life and also as professional footballers. SIAONE Soccer Academy always tries to gather the best available football talents and wholly develop them as individuals and subsequently, as professional players. 

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How To Join Football Academy in Nigeria

Football is a game of passion and so before you make up your mind to pursue a professional carrier in football you must ensure to have passion and love for the game.

websites where you can download the application form, then complete it, and print it out in person at the provided training venue.

However, not all football academies in Nigeria have websites, some use football pages while in some cases a publication will be made and a location will be stated where applicants can purchase forms.

Requirements include;

  • Photocopy of your birth certificate
  • Passport photographs of you and your parent or guardian
  • Copies of your school results
  • If you completed secondary school education, then provide copies of your WASSCE or GCE, or NECO results
  • Copies of your medical report
  • Eligible applicants must come with their parents or guardian upon registration.

Also Read: Top 25 Universities To Study Medicine And Surgery In Nigeria

Conclusion:  Top 10 Best Football Academies in Nigeria

If you have a passion for football and you are looking forward to becoming a professional and efficient player, then you must give good attention to football academies. Football academies help to build your teamwork ability, place you on a wider level, ensure discipline, and make your journey towards greatness, as a player, easier.

There are many top football academies in Nigeria, moreover, it is best to go for the best ones. Attending a good and reputable football academy will help you a lot.

Football is the greatest sport throughout the globe. There are many reasons behind the high value and importance associated with football. 

Looking at the fun side of the game, it is top-notch, both for the players and the people watching.

The intense energy and passion to get crowned the champions are what majorly fuels players; moreover, viewers relish supporting teams, watch matches with their loved ones, share the love of the game, and feel happy.

Also, looking at the monetary part of football, it is exceptionally massive. Revenues are derived from sponsorships, selling kits, tickets, and so on. Football is a sport that isn’t just interesting, but also, lucrative.

To wrap things up, playing in a football team can be very difficult without passing through the football academy – more so, the right one!

Thus, the highlighted top ten best football academies in Nigeria will serve as a guide to your football career.

Get enrolled in any, and in no time you will be noticed by prominent club scouting agents.

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0 thoughts on “Top 10 Best Football Academies In Nigeria 2023”

  1. Good day sir…i don’t know who’s going to read this message but am Ogbueghu Diamond by name am a citizen of Nigeria In Abia state and wish to further my football dreams..I want to be a star and a good player am interested in joining the midas soccer academy…From what i have read through its a good soccer academy and i believe i will do my best to fit in and make the best for myself,players and the team as a whole
    Thank you

    Reply

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