Ten international scouts have been granted visas to participate in the 19th edition of the Lagos Supremacy Cup.
Cem Sagar, who serves as the coordinator for expatriates and leads Diamond Sports Management, will be joined by nine other scouts in Lagos for this prestigious event.
Confirmed attendees include Dan Smejkal, Tomas Syrovatka, Pape Cissokho, Toni Bilandzic, Dennys Dilettosso, Nenad Sarcevic, Zdenek Mikyska, Jan Prosek, and Florin Biba.
The tournament is scheduled to occur from November 27th to 30th at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena.
Organizers have announced that the scouting tournament will showcase some of the finest grassroots teams.
Cem highlighted that the initiative aims to identify talent at the grassroots level and offer them opportunities for international play.
He remarked, “Our objective is to uncover talent and facilitate their entry into European markets.”
“This is the reason nine additional scouts have been confirmed for the event.”
Hajji Olawale Liameed Gafar, Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) and Chief Convener of the eagerly awaited tournament, noted that each match will consist of two halves, each lasting 30 minutes. Importantly, there will be no offside rule enforced during the games, which is anticipated to reduce unnecessary interruptions and enhance both playtime and scoring chances.
In addressing the importance of the tournament for the growth of football in Nigeria, he pointed out that only 69 youth players can represent the national U15, U17, and U20 teams in any generation.
“Our main aim is to create more opportunities for young footballers in Nigeria. We currently have only three youth national teams: U-15, U-17, and U-20. Each team can only include 23 players per tournament per generation. What becomes of the remaining one million active semi-professional players?”
“The answer lies in the Lagos Supremacy Cup. While the ten teams participating in this tournament do not represent the entirety of Nigeria’s youth football scene, they have the potential to make a significant impact.”
