By Hammed Shittu

About 30 school kids between the ages of 15 and 18 years will be selected for educational scholarship and football career in the US at the on-going MTN Football Scholar tournament among secondary schools in the country.

Speaking with journalists at the Kwara Stadium, venue of the Ilorin zone of the selection of kids at the weekend, its Programme Coordinator, Mr. Tom Demaio, an American football expert, said the kids would have the chance to study in American universities or private football academy.

He further confirmed that the programme was designed to recruit young Nigerians and to also further help develop the game in America.

Also speaking at the event, the Technical Director of the programme sponsored by the MTN, Kunle Raji, said the event was taking place in seven zones of Ilorin, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Benin, Akure, Abuja and Enugu.

“Five students are to be picked from the Ilorin zone and it is part of the overall objective to make them all-round footballers with good educational background.

"It is because of the lack of what the programme is trying to achieve now that most of our best footballers without sound educational background do not make headway in their career. The game and schooling from JSS through the SSS classes must go along side for a better tomorrow," stressed Raji.

The technical director revealed that some Nigerian coaches like Joe Erico, Amusa Adisa and Emmanuel Tetteh were involved in the selection of the players.

He hinted that some American coaches would arrive the country at the end of the programme in October to be involved in the final selection of the player that would travel to the US. Selected students are to be camped in Lagos and be made to undergo football training and academic classes that would prepare them for the SAT examination to enter US universities.