Football stakeholders and enthusiasts across Nigeria have heaped praise on the organisers of the Moyero Football Scouting Tournament currently underway at the Dipo Dina International Stadium in Ijebu-Ode describing it as a laudable initiative that bridges the gap between grassroots football and professional opportunities.
The tournament, which kicked off on Friday, 17 October 2025, has drawn scouts, academy owners and football administrators from within Nigeria and beyond. Its aim: to give young players a platform to showcase their skills and chase their ambitions of becoming professional footballers.
Speaking at the event, former Ondo State Commissioner for Sports Mr Saka Yusuf commended the organisers, stating that the competition “not only keeps boys off the streets but also helps them believe in themselves.”
Likewise, academy owner Alhaji Adeleke described the tournament as “a reflection of Nigeria’s rich football potential,” pointing to the depth of talent spread across the country.
Foreign scouts Walid Adel and Guisse Charle who are part of the talent-identification process, expressed positive views about the quality of players and the large turnout. They emphasised, however, that only those with “exceptional quality, discipline and understanding of the game” would make the final selection.
From an initial 26 participating teams, the tournament has now progressed to its final phase, with standout players grouped into new units where they will continue to battle for recognition and potential contracts. Organisers say the Moyero tournament aims to sustain a continuous pipeline for discovering and nurturing future stars who could represent Nigeria at local and international levels.
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Editorial
When we speak of football development, the glamour is often reserved for stadium lights, international caps and major transfers. Yet in Ijebu-Ode, at the Dipo Dina International Stadium, the real work is being done. The Moyero Football Scouting Tournament may not make the front pages tomorrow, but it may one day be seen as quietly seminal in Nigeria’s football story.
What’s remarkable about this initiative is not just its ambition, but its alignment with deeper needs. Nigeria’s footballing DNA is rich with raw talent, but the pathways to professionalisation remain partial and uneven. This tournament addresses that gap it offers a space where young players from everywhere not just the big cities can be seen, judged on merit, and given a chance to leap. For Mr Yusuf to say it keeps “boys off the streets” is not romanticising it is acknowledging reality. Sport, when organised and purposeful, becomes more than entertainment it becomes opportunity.
The presence of foreign scouts sets an important tone. Talent alone is no longer enough what matters is readiness, discipline, the ability to adapt, and the professionalism of attitude. This is the lesson the young players must internalise now promise must mature into performance.
Yet the path ahead is not free of risk. For every player picked up, dozens will remain. The danger lies in one-off events turning into memory, not momentum. If Nigeria’s next global star emerges from this tournament, we must ask will the structures behind him hold? Will clubs, academies, federations respond? Because in the end, discovering talent is only the first chapter. Developing it, retaining it, and providing it meaningful opportunities is the rest.
The Moyero tournament invites Nigeria to look inward with optimism to trust that the pipeline exists, to invest not just in the elite few, but the untapped many. If this becomes more than a weekend event and instead a sustainable movement, then what’s happening now in Ijebu-Ode may mark a turning point. The stadium lights may dim, but what could shine brighter is a generation given chance.
Did You Know?
- The Moyero Football Scouting Tournament began on 17 October 2025 and is held at the Dipo Dina International Stadium in Ijebu-Ode.
- The initial field at the tournament consisted of 26 participating teams, drawn from across Nigeria.
- Foreign scouts Walid Adel and Guisse Charle attended the event and emphasised that selection would favour players who combine technical ability with discipline and game-understanding.
- Stakeholders noted that talent flying under the radar is common in Nigeria, pointing to the tournament’s role as a bridge between grassroots football and professional opportunities.
- This kind of grassroots seeking aligns with broader calls across Nigerian football bodies for example, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has previously urged similar tournaments to spotlight young talents as part of its national development strategy.
