We groom talented youngsters for int’l competition – Ghetto Light FC coach
By Saheed Afolabi
The coach of Ghetto Light FC, Azeez Mustapha, has said that the football club was established with the aim of taking kids off social vices, project their talents and train them to become great international footballers.
According to him, the club is called Ghetto Light FC because the players who formed the team for the club were scouted from the ghettos.
“Ghetto Light FC was founded to take the kids in the ghettos off gangsterism and make them realise that they have got potentials to succeed in life with football and which was why the name of the club is Ghetto Light FC.
“The club comprises of both the male and female players limited only to U17 players. The players are picked from the ghettos to project them to the world and for the world to know that there are shinning lights in the ghettos. We felt it will be easier to change the narrative by starting with the U17 team before we move to the adulthood and we are one of the few grassroots clubs to have both the male and female teams which are moving very well since we came on board in 2018.”
He said the club encourages players to be educated, saying secondary school certificate is the minimum requirement for any player to be qualified as a team member.
He added that the club enrols those without secondary school education into schools and monitor their academic activities, noting that they might not be opportune to sign contract with foreign clubs without secondary school certificate.
Highlighting their achievements so far, Mustapha said: “We won the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Cup to cement our place as an elite club at the grassroots.
“Though it has not been easy convincing some parents to allow their children play football, they are convinced with my personality and qualification as a graduate of Lagos State University (LASU). We also invite parents to come and watch their kids play to see the progress they have made.”
However, Mustapha appealed to the government and other wealthy individuals in the community to support the club, saying it is funded by only his family and friends.
He added that the club is outstanding as it gives monthly awards to its exceptional players to motivate them to continue to give their best while hoping to produce players for the U20 national team and also export players to foreign leagues in the next five years.
