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Feyenoord clinics powerful addition to NNPC Shell Cup

Feyenoord clinics powerful addition to NNPC Shell Cup

Feyenoord coaches paid a successful visit to Nigeria last week. International development coach Melvin Boel and Feyenoord Soccer Schools head coach Mike Obiku travelled to Lagos together with international relations manager Gido Vader. In the African metropolis the Feyenoord delegation worked intensively with the teams who reached the semifinals of the All Nigeria Secondary Schools Football Championship as well as with a group of talented coaches.

The annual visit of the Feyenoord delegation to Nigeria is part of the partnership between Shell Nigeria and Feyenoord. The NNPC/Shell Cup is a social investment initiative that was initiated in 1998 by Shell Petroleum Development Company and its joint venture partners. Over the years the tournament has grown and created a platform for the discovery of new football talents from secondary schools across the 36 states of Nigeria. The tournament has produced many players for Nigerian professional football. Annually, some 3000 schools and 60,000 students take part in the prestigious event.

During their busy week in Nigeria the Feyenoord staff trained each semifinalist twice, but also worked with approximately 30 Nigerian coaches during an intense workshop. Furthermore, the delegation visited schools and former Feyenoord striker Mike Obiku made some appearances on national tv shows. ‘For us it was an absolute joy to come back to Lagos. There is so much love for football in Nigeria and so much playing and coaching talent waiting to be developed there’, says Gido Vader, manager of international relations at Feyenoord. ‘We do hope they all come away with a greater understanding of the game and its endless possibilities. It was wonderful to see the synergy between the players and our coaches.’

Speaking after the final game of the 2015 edition of the competition, which was won by Rochas Okorocha Foundation College from Imo State, Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC) Sustainable Development and Community Relations Manager, Mr. Igo Weli, said the championship had achieved its target for the year. He added: “The championship has reached another height this year. More players and coaches were part of the clinic organised by our partners from Feyenoord Academy, and I hope they will make use of the experience they garnered to build better footballers for the country.”

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