From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The maiden edition of Nigeria Youth League Cup (NYLC), has disclosed that the tournament involving 30 participating teams, will gulp a whooping sum of $3 million (about N4.5 billion) for the youth development tournament.
The football club league, involving teenage youths between the ages of 16 and 19, in the Nigeria Premier Football League feeder teams and academies, according to the organisers, has a mouth-watering price money of N40 million.
Giving breakdown of the beneficiaries of the price money, President of the NYLC, Robinson Adakosa, told Sports writers in Abuja that it is not going to be a winner takes all, explaining that the Premier league feeder team that emerges winner will smile home with N20 million.
Adakosa further revealed that while the first runners-up Premier league feeder team get N10 million, the second runners-up will smile to the banks with N7.5 million, fourth position N2.5 million, just as other participating Premier league teams will get cash reward of N5 million and academy teams get N1 million participation reward.
“For the total amount we are committing into the tournament, I want to inform you that we are earmarking a budget of over $3 million to prosecute the league. The price money for the NYL Cup is N40 million.
“The NYLC season will start on September 8, 2024 and ends in April 2025. It will be an exhilarating eight months of pure football artistry with several talents on display. The traditional days for NYLC is Tuesday at 4pm prompt.
“It is projected that an estimated one million viewers will watch our games through physical and online streaming platforms across the globe. 15 teams are in Group A. They are Lobi Stars Fc of Makurdi, AS Roma Acedemy, Dynamic African Stars, Garden City Panthers, Legacy Stats FC all in Abuja, Joecas FC, Mees Palace FC, Plateau United FC all in Jos.
“Others are Shield City FC of Kano, Ilorin-based trio of Kwara Football Academy, Kwara United FC, ABS FC, Kano-based teams comprising Shield City and Kano Pillars FC, and Yobe Desert Stars FC of Damaturu.
“The teams in the second group include; Abia Warriors FC of Aba, Akwa United FC of Uyo, Rangers International FC of Enugu, Bucknor FC of Lagos, R2 Finesse of Lagos, Atlantic Business FC of Ogun State, Sunshine Stars FC of Akure.
“Others are Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan, Rivers United of Port Harcourt Royalty FC of Lagos State, Shuffle Select FA of Lagos, Gateway City FC of Abeokuta, Enyimba FC of Aba and the duo of Austenplus FC and Eagle’s Stars of Lagos,” Adakosa explained.
Manager of Premier league side, Akwa United FC, Paul Bassey, had lamented the difficulties many clubs go through to source for players.
“We are passing through hell sourcing players to play in the Nigerian League. After one season, the agents and the players will be demanding N1 million salary deal. What you are doing is noble, but I urge you to avoid age-related scandal. Be firm in the age rate you set for the league tournament so that we can groom players to feed the national teams and the leagues,” he appealed.