Former Nigerian goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, has promised to recommend whoever emerges as the best player at the Peller Unity Cup to European clubs.
The goalkeeper also promised to recommend the best keeper of the tournament to handlers of the Nigerian youth teams provided the goalkeeper is very young.
The tournament which is organised for 20 teams from the 10 Local Government Areas of Oke Ogun area of Oyo State is being sponsored by a member of the House of Representatives, Shina Peller.
Dosu, who was part of the Nigerian Under 23 Football team that won gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, said this on Thursday in Okeho while speaking at the unveiling of the Season 2 of the Peller Unity Cup.
The ex-national team goalkeeper acknowledged that Oke Ogun area of Oyo State was blessed with many football talents, who need encouragement and support to excel.
According to him, Nigeria, in general, is blessed with many talents in football and other sports but he said these talents need support to turn them into superstars.
He said, “There are many good players from Oke Ogun. When you ask them where they become from, they would tell you Iseyin or one town in Oke Ogun.
“I am here with my brother Femi Opabunmi not only for this ceremony but to also watch the matches and the Best Player of the Tournament will be given an opportunity in Europe and the best goalkeeper, I will recommend to the youth national team if he is young.”
Opabunmi, who played at the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup also promised the best player of the tournament a trophy.
Peller, who said he organised the football tournament to foster unity among the youths in the region and to empower them, said the region has many football talents.
To expose the 420 players who would participate in the tournament to opportunities, he said scouts had been invited to watch the matches.
He said, “Let’s make use of this common phenomenon (football) to achieve extraordinary and uncommon things that we all will be proud of. Let’s imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship as we continue to promote unity, peace, and progress, through the PUC, in Oke Ogun, Oyo State, and Nigeria at large.”
Meanwhile, Hon. Shina Peller said the winner of the tournament will be given N700,000 while any second runner-up will settle for N500,000. He added that teams at the losers final will go home with #N250,000 and N100,000 respectively.
