In today’s constantly evolving world, people are usually advised to seek new avenues to increase their earnings and generate alternative streams of income. And, entertainers are no different. While many top stars are known to be involved in other businesses, some have set their eyes on the lucrative sports sector. FAITH AJAYI takes a look at some of them that have established football academies

Don Jazzy

Music producer and record label owner, Michael Ajereh, popularly known as Don Jazzy, is among those who recently dived into the sports industry by launching his football club, Supremos FC in Nigeria.

The club is expected to take part in the forthcoming Africa’s premier private football league— Lagos Liga. Known for his ability to spot and nurture talents, expectations are high that he would do the same thing in the world of football.

In a statement credited to him, the producer stated that the Lagos Liga is the perfect opportunity for him to combine his passion for football and commitment to developing talents.

Indeed, many are of the opinion that with Don Jazzy’s newfound venture, there is room for young talented footballers to become get global recognition, just like many of the artistes signed to his Mavin Records.

At the Lagos Liga games, which will hold in December 2024, various clubs would compete for a prize money of N50m, reportedly making it the largest per-game cash reward in Nigeria football.

Burna Boy

In August 2024, Burna Boy took many by surprise when he launched the Burna Boy Football Academy, announcing that he would be opening centres for training in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt (Rivers State).

It was also stated that the academy is open to young football enthusiasts from the ages of four to 15 (junior boys) and 16-21 (senior boys).

A post on the singer’s X page read, “We are proud to announce the official launch of the Burnaboy Football Academy dedicated to nurturing the next generation of football talent. Our academy offers world-class coaching, state-of-the-art facilities, and a pathway to success in the beautiful game. Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to develop future stars. Stay tuned for updates, training tips, and more as we kick off this new chapter in football excellence.”

Similar, on the website, it is stated that the vision of the academy is to “create an environment where kids can learn the fundamentals of football, combined with education, discipline and technique to excel in life beyond the sport”.

The website also notes that the academy runs three-day training sessions per week, and has played friendly matches with other football clubs such as RISE Soccer Club, Royal Pharaohs, Enyimba and Nathaniel Boys, among others.

Going by the results of the seven friendly matches listed on the academy’s website, it has recorded four wins, two defeats and a draw.

D’banj

Popular singer, Dapo Oyebanjo, aka D’banj is toeing a similar path with his former partner, Don Jazzy, as he also announced that his club— Koko FC— will participate in the Lagos Liga games.

The Instagram pages of the singer and Lagos Liga announced this new development with a post that read, “The pressure is building up as @iambangalee Koko FC joins the team and is ready to set the field ablaze. Will you be rooting for Koko FC?”

D’banj also outlined to interested football talents how to get recruited by the club. He wrote on his X page, “Koko FC is now recruiting. Upload a one-minute video of your skills on the pitch to The Cream platform. The top-voted players each week will be picked, and we’ll meet up on the pitch for a physical game to select the team!   Show us what you’ve got! Koko Ah Koko @Koko__Fc.  OoooSsssHEee.”

By

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *