Greensprings School signs pact with Southampton FC to groom football talents

Determined to contribute towards football development in Nigeria, Greensprings School, Lekki campus, has established a relationship with Southampton Football Club in England to run a football academy in Nigeria.

The academy will be aimed at complementing the school’s annual football camp, which recently produced two players that featured in the Golden Eaglets squad that won the 2022 WAFU B U-17 Championship.

Jennifer Sunkanmi-Qazzeem, principal, Wider Curriculum of the school, said the introduction of the football academy is in line with the school’s theme and objectives for the 2022/2023 academic year.

Sunkanmi-Qazzeem said the birth of the Greensprings/Southampton FC Football Academy was made possible through the collaborative effort with Team Nigeria International, which is the international academy partner for Southampton FC.

“Our Lekki campus has always been known for sports because of our numerous sports facilities, and at the beginning of this school year, the campus was designated as the Centre of Excellence in Sports.

On the modality of the academy, Sunkanmi-Qazzeem said students attend three training sessions per week after school hours, and they also participate in FUTSTAR League, which allows them to be scouted by football clubs abroad.

Read also: Lagos Business School holds dinner to recognise outstanding entrepreneurs

“Coaches at Greensprings/Southampton FC Football Academy are groomed the ‘Southampton Way,’ and they provide top-class training that enables our students to improve their technical and tactical skills,” she said.

The principal further said that the coaches will carry out customised player evaluations aimed at helping students identify career paths in sports and allied industries.

She further said that the football academy provides a sports education curriculum which supports students’ academic pursuits and excellence, and for this reason, training takes place after school hours.

Greensprings/Southampton FC Football Academy is currently opened to students of Greensprings School. The school was established in 1985, and it has three campuses in Lagos – Anthony, Lekki, and Ikoyi.