IKPEME ELATED AS FOX SPORTS SIGNS DEAL WITH WAFU

ABUJA, Nigeria – Deputy General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, has described the newly signed partnership between FOX Sports and West African Football Union, WAFU Zone A and B as a big help for football development on the region.

Ikpeme, who represented NFF President Amaju Pinnick at the epoch-making event said it would afford the federations within the sub – region to develop talents from the youth level.

History was made in Dakar, Senegal on Friday, when the West African Football Union Zone A and B signed a new partnership deal with one of the leading global premium sports broadcaster, FOX Sports. The landmark deal will see new long –term investment injected into the development, training and support of West African football over the next 12 years.

“Some years ago, we started the U-13 which produced the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Isaac Success and others, but because of lack of funds, the NFF was unable to continue with the program,” he said. “The partnership is a landmark event, no matter the idea you have as a person or a Federation, you must have the enabling power to bring it to fruition.

“With FOX Sports coming to partner the West Africa sub-region, we couldn’t have wished for anything better. For sometime now, the WAFU Cup has been moribund because of lack of funds. Even though the region needed competitions, but nothing could be done.

“With the funds coming from FOX Sports, we can look forward to a promising future with regards to youth development in our region.”

The NFF topshot opined further that the expected human capacity training for coaches and referees would impact positively on the players and in time help teams from the region to conquer at continental and global levels.

He said with competitions to assess players, there will be quality players with age on their side to compete for some of the countries in the sub region.