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Former Super Eagles first choice goal keeper, Peter Rufai, has described the Airtel Rising Stars tournament now in its fourth year as a life saver for many young people across the country as it provides an opportunity for them to learn and to dream of moving away from their poor locales.
Rufai, who was at the official launch of the 4th edition of ARS U-17football championship in Lagos, said the telco has not only contributed to the development of football in Nigeria, but it has also saved many lives though the initiative.
He said: “I want to commend Airtel for having the concern for our youths and having thought of it doing something about it. Airtel Rising Stars means they have taken it upon themselves to do proper research. You may not understand it but ARS is not only football but saving a soul from decadence. If not for the ARS programme by Airtel, there are youths out there who have nothing to eat nor have hope to be involved in a programme like this. If you walk through parks and playgrounds in Lagos and other states in Nigeria you will see where these boys hang out after their training sessions.”
The former star goalkeeper noted that the programme would open doors for many beneficiaries. “A project of this nature would fish out these kids from all the corners of the country to areas where they did not dream of.”
Rufai recalled that he was discovered at age 10 when he was playing football for the Municipal school in Port Harcourt and after which he was trained and developed to achieve his football career and successes. He, therefore, urged the telco to continue the good work and to remain exemplary to other corporate organisations in Nigeria.
Rufai started his professional career with Stationary Stores FC. He later played 65 international matches for Nigeria and represented the nation at two FIFA World Cups, 1994 and 1998. He was among the Super Eagles team that won the 1994 African Cup of Nations. He also played for international clubs in Belgium, Portugal and Spain.
The former Super Eagles safe handshas been selected alongside other ex-Super Eagles players such as Mutiu Adepoju, Garba Lawal, ex-Super Falcons Stars Ann Chiejine and Olympic Gold Medallist, Chioma Ajunwa-Opara as technical advisers to ARS Season 4. Other ex-Internationalspresent at the official launch of ARS 4 also expressed their delight to be part of the ARS U-17 football initiative by Airtel, saying it offers them the opportunity to make their experience count in building a future for the youths.
The ARS U-17 male and female tournament is a grass-root football talent search aimed at identifying and nurturing budding soccer talents from grassroots to a national level.
Registration has kicked off already and there are over 60, 000 application forms available at Airtel Express Shops across Nigeria and online platforms for interested boys and girls under the age of 17.
Regional screening and matches will hold in Lagos, Kwara, Enugu, Abuja and Port Harcourt where camps have been set up. The national finals has been scheduled to hold in Lagos, while the top 16 male and female talents selected during the national finals will represent Nigeria at the Africa Championships in Gabon later this year.
The ARS U-17 tournament, a pan-African initiative of Airtel Africa, is designed to provide support for the development of football talents across Nigeria. It aims at discovering talented male and female students of secondary school age and providing them with platform to gain football skills and develop into professional footballers.
The tournament enjoys the support of football bodies such as Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), Arsenal Football Club and Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF).
