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Foremost African financial institution, Guaranty Trust Bank plc,is set to sponsor 40 outstanding young talents discovered at its football tournaments as well as 60 school coaches on an all-expense paid intensive player development and coach-training programme tagged “Camp GTBank.”

Camp GTBank is a football and educational development initiative designed to train and develop outstanding football talents discovered at the GTBank football tournaments which include the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup, GTBank-Ogun State Principals Cup and the GTBank Masters Cup.Since its inception in 2011, Camp GTBank has helped kick start the careers of more than 120 footballers, some of whom have been selected to represent the country in international tournaments at various levels, and are currently playing in both domestic and foreign league clubs.

Holding in Lagos from the 21st to the 28thof August, 2017, this year’s edition of Camp GTBank will help prepare the outstanding talents for successful football careers whilst building the capacity of the coaches to improve the quality and potential of grassroots football.The 8-day residential camp will feature renowned coaches such as Augustine Eguavoen, the former coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, JolomiAtune, coach of the Nigeria’s U-15 Future Eagles, and AjumaOttache, the only female coach of a professional male football team in Nigeria, amongst others.

The coaches will take the players through all the aspects of the game, expose them to modern rules and regulations and improve their physical and metal conditioning to position them for a professional career. The coaches will also offer expert coaching lessons to the school coaches and sport instructors over a two day periodto develop and enhance their knowledge and technical competence.

Commenting on the Camp GTBank, the Managing Director/CEO of GTBank, Segun Agbaje, said “Given the amazing talents shortlisted for this programme and the quality of the coaches overseeing their development, I am confident that Camp GTBank will bea seedbed for the emergence of professional footballers who will go on to have very successful careers. This goes to the heart of our sports education initiatives, which are aimed at actively engaging the youths through sports whilst identifying, nurturing and grooming young football talents.”

He further stated that “At GTBank, we will continue to invest massively in youth development through education and sports in order to help more youths actualize their dreams and to also grow their personal confidence and make them become better team players.”

Guaranty Trust Bank plc is one of the few Nigerian financial institutions that have maintained a defined Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy since its inception in 1990. The Bank actively supports Education programmes in-classroom, Out-of-Classroom, infrastructure development, students’ scholarship and teachers training across Africa.

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CAF 2024 Awards: Nigeria’s ‘Super Falcons’ Wins National Team Of The Year (Female Category)

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The Nigerian women’s national football team, Super Falcons, were named “National Team of the Year” at the CAF Awards 2024.

This achievement, revealed on Monday by the Confederation of African Football during the presentation ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, further solidifies their dominance and excellence in African football.

This esteemed recognition underscores the team’s exceptional performances and significant contributions over the past year, as they continued to represent Nigeria at the pinnacle of women’s football in Africa.

The CAF Awards annually honor the best in African football, celebrating teams, players, and coaches who have excelled in their respective fields.

The Nigerian women’s team has consistently demonstrated resilience, skill, and determination on the international stage, earning the admiration of fans and experts alike.

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Four Years Ago I Failed In Front Of The World, Fast Forward, I’m The Best Player In Africa — Ademola Lookman

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Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, says his success as the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year came after he “failed in front of the world” four years prior.

Lookman spoke after receiving the award as the best African male footballer of 2024 in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday.

The 27-year-old finished ahead of Achraf Hakimi, Simon Adingra, Ronwen Williams, and Serhou Guirassy to win the coveted individual prize for male African footballers.

He followed in the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won the award in 2023.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lookman referenced his failure to convert a penalty for Everton in November 2020.

Lookman had the opportunity to earn a point for Fulham in their English Premier League (EPL) match against West Ham United. Instead, he failed to execute a Panenka penalty kick that was easily saved by Lukasz Fabianski as West Ham won 1-0.

The penalty attempt earned him mockery on social media, and Scott Parker, Fulham’s manager, criticized the player publicly.

“Just over four years ago I failed in front of the world. Fast forward four years, I’m the best player in Africa,” Lookman said after receiving the award.

“I want to say to the young children and people watching this: don’t let your failures weigh you down that they break your wings. Matter of fact, turn your pain into your power and continue to fight.

“Firstly, I want to thank the Almighty God for everything he has been doing in my life, and everything he has been blessing me with.

“I want to thank the president, I want to thank all my teammates—club and country. I want to thank them for all their support and love that they gave me.”

“This award today is a blessing to me, to my family, to my nation, and to be recognized as the best player in Africa. It’s something incredible and I’m extremely proud of.”

Lookman left Fulham after that season for RB Salzburg in Germany, where he continued to flap his wings before taking flight following his move to Atalanta in the summer of 2022.

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Ademola Lookman Wins 2024 CAF Men’s Player Of The Year

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Ademola Lookman has been crowned the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year.

The Nigerian triumphed over Simon Adingra, Achraf Hakimi, Rowen Williams, and Serhou Guirassy to claim the prestigious award.

Atalanta’s forward, Lookman, succeeds his fellow Nigerian, Victor Osimhen, who was the recipient of the award last year.

The 27-year-old made a significant impact for Nigeria during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

The talented winger netted three goals and provided one assist in the competition, with the Super Eagles securing second place.

He also achieved a historic hat-trick for Serie A club Atalanta in the final of the UEFA Europa League.

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