Kaitell (L) in a handshake with Baffoe after the latter was decorated with the academy green jacket at the function
Globacom yesterday unveiled the Glo Soccer Academy, a TV Reality show designed to discover and train talented young footballers in West Africa, at a ceremony in Accra.
The concept, according to the organizers, is to provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for talented footballers between ages 14 and 17 to kick off their career in professional football.
It is also designed to scout through Ghana, the Benin Republic and Nigeria, where celebrity coaches will train about 33 talented participants for five weeks in an academy based in Lagos, Nigeria.
From the 33 participants, 16 finalists will emerge as the last men that will battle for supremacy in the academy house. The overall winner (Most Valuable Player), will receive a mouth-watering cash prize of 60,000 Cedis, scholarships as well as a training tour with Manchester United Soccer Schools.
The remaining 15 contestants will receive 10,000 each plus scholarship worth over 9,000 Cedis.
At the unveiling ceremony, Tunde Kaitell, the General Manager, advertising, said, “The Glo Soccer Academy is conceptualized not just to discover young talents but also teach and groom youngsters to become world class footballers who can compete with their contemporaries the world over.
“We are confident that the academy will motivate young players, coaches and administrators in Ghana to work harder and thereby lead to further development and maturity of the game. Our confidence in this market is demonstrated in our unprecedented selection of Ghana for the fourth time to host the 2012 Glo CAF Awards,” he added.
Prospective candidates can text on Glo network to short code 3836 with 30 minutes airtime to begin the selection process, and the show will begin five weeks from now.
Ghana’s Tony Baffoe, former Black Stars defender, Victor Ikpeba and Tijani Babangida as well as goalkeeper’s trainer Prince Ogufenyi will be in charge of selection and training of the players.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum
