The Cowbell Football Academy (CFA) hosted the Indian International Language School, Ilupeju, Lagos on Saturday to a friendly match between its Under-10 and Under-15 teams respectively, at the Main Bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The 40-minute game was flagged off at 9:35am, with the CFA Under-10 side beating their Indian Counterpart with a whopping 5-1 victory, while the game for the Under-15 team which flagged off an hour later recorded a 4-0 victory in favour of the Cowbell Team.
The Indian International Language School Under 10 team with coach, Samuel Onyebuchi, at the Main Bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos before the match with the Cowbell Football Academy team.
Satisfied with the performance of his players, Hycienth Nkwocha, Head Coach/Technical Coordinator, Cowbell Football Academy; explained that the players are usually recruited when they are young before they are trained on the metrics of the game of football.
His words: “When we catch them very young, we groom them and this helps them in the future unlike us, who started very late. Besides, they are learning very fast and we must use this medium to train them and improve on areas where they are lacking in skills and techniques. Both teams displayed aggression, strong attacking spirit, goal-oriented style of football and they are disciplined.”
From left: Head coach & technical coordinator, Nkwocha Hycienth; Head coach, Indian International Language School, Samuel Onyebuchi; CFA Under 15 captain, Rasheed Azeez; Indian Under 15 team captain, Tejas Khatavkar and the CFA Under 15 coach, Sunday Odelayo at the Main Bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos after the friendly matches between both teams.
The Head Coach stated that the team had worked hard to ensure they beat their counterparts. According to him, self discipline is key to outstanding success in football career; adding that without this no matter how laudable one’s goal might be it would be short-lived. He therefore identified the trainings, the players had gone through as part of the factors that made the team’s success possible.
His words: “If you want to be a good footballer, you have to be discipline and work hard. You cannot win a football game without hard work and discipline. The two variables will take you far in your career. We’ve done a lot of drills, prepared and worked hard for the game.”
Meanwhile, Tejas Khatavkar, Captain, Indian Language School International Under-15 Team; commended his team members for the courage and determination they showed in the game against the CFA squad. According to him, the young players had never played at a prominent football pitch like the National Stadium. His words: “The reverse is the case with CFA team who is conversant with the length and breadth of the Main Bowl of the National Stadium.”
Khatavkar expressed gratitude to Cowbell, a brand from the staple of Promasidor Nigeria Limited for sponsoring the Academy, which he said serves as a platform for the nation in sourcing for good players for the national teams. Based on this, he implored Promasidor not to rescind its sponsorship for the CFA. “I want to play football professionally in the future. Learning these skills here in Nigeria is good, because we have good players in Nigeria, and I love Nigeria so much because it’s like a Fatherland to me,’ says Khatavkar.
The academy is committed to preparing young footballers, between ages Five and 17 years to shine as stars in the future.
Cowbell Football Academy was launched in 2012 as a corporate social responsibility programme by Promasidor Nigeria with the aim of building and developing the nation through sports.
Furthermore, the initiative behind the academy is the company’s contribution to developing sports in the country, especially the game of football. Apart from that, this will create an enabling environment to grooming young football players who are still in schools. As such, Promasidor continues to place emphasis on the need for children to be better academically as well as in extra-curricular activities (sports).