Abuja: Former Super Eagles star Tijani Babangida and MOP Stars FC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and transfer young Nigerian football talents to clubs in Europe. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the collaborative MoU was signed by both parties on Saturday in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the MoU sets forth the terms and understanding between the Academy and Babangida in a collaboration aimed at identifying young football talents and facilitating their transfer to football clubs in Europe. The agreement will ensure that MOP Stars FC Academy develops young players and provides financial support for scouting. Babangida, on the other hand, is expected to utilize his influence and network to facilitate the transfer of players to football clubs in Europe.
Dr. Suleiman Adejoh, president of MOP Stars, who signed on behalf of the academy, said the partnership was part of his commitment towards the discovery, development, and empowerment of Nigeria’s budding football talents. “The Messengers of Peace (MOP) Stars Football Academy was born out of the need to preach peace in Nigeria through sports and engage young Nigerians positively, while also contributing to the development of football. As I scout for young talents across the country, it is obvious that our country is blessed with gifted and passionate young people who sincerely need platforms to express themselves. We now have U16 and U19 teams playing and winning games locally, with the team building process still ongoing through trials and test games. This is our modest way of contributing to the peaceful coexistence that we need in our country Nigeria,” he said.
According to the president, both the U16 and U19 teams of MOP Stars FC have been invited to participate at the 2025 Dana World Youth Tournament in Denmark. He expressed delight that the tournament was an opportunity for talented young Nigerians to showcase their talents on the global stage. “We are preparing them for the next edition of the Dana World Youth Cup coming up in Denmark where 50 nations of the world are coming to play these young lads. As we progress in our preparation, our boys have recorded outstanding wins in our recent matches, including a 4-2 win over FC Gwagwalada and a 3-1 win over One World FC. The process has been very okay, and we are working on the boys and by God’s grace in April, we will be together for about two months to perfect our training,” he said.
Earlier, Babangida, who met with the MOP Star players, urged them to work hard to emerge as the next generation of players who would represent their country on the global stage. He expressed satisfaction with the level of performance from the team, as the target is for them to make an impact at the Dana World Youth Cup.