JustJohn F.C has offered scholarships to over 65 young talented players to enable them achieve their football career successfully.
The scholarship grants was announced recently by the co-owners of the prestigious football club: Mr Oyeleye Olarenwaju Johnson and Mr Oyeleye Abimbola Justus during a stakeholders meeting held with the players, parents, coaches and other sports lovers in Ota, Ogun State.
The owners of the leading football club stated that they formed the club based on their experiences as professional footballers, saying, “if we had such opportunities during our days, we would have moved much faster.”
Having retired in soccer, one of the co-owners, Mr Oyeleye Olarenwaju Johnson said that now they have stopped playing,
they have earnestly developed the passion to help those who have the talent to pursue their football career, starting from the school level.
Johnson who said they will soon engage public schools, stressed that they started with an academy since there was no existing structure, hence the establishment of the part time football academy for the young minds.
Johnson also informed that the club has equally registered for 13-weeks football tournament that would commence on September 6, 2024, where each team would play one match per week at Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
According to him, the tournament which will feature under 19 players, promises to be an outing for the team.
Adding that the club is now graduating young academy players to the senior team and they are doing well and being upgraded gradually, revealing also that their football partnership with Covenant University Staff School (CUSS) is already making progress.
“We wrote a proposal for a football partnership to the University who accepted our proposal, promising to give us full support. They however chose the arrangement to feature us during the Inter-House Sport events.
“Through this we have discovered a lot of talents. We have also given them scholarships for our part time Academic programme, making parents to enroll their children to join the club during holidays”.
“Those on scholarship will not pay except the match ball and their transportation. Outsiders are to pay application, registration and membership fees and they should always come with match balls. After payments, items such as; ID card, Team Jerseys, Face cap, Access to medical services and others benefits. There is also provision for hostel facility in our camp and there is usually refreshment during trainings”
Also speaking, Abimbola said that the club is planning to start marketing players abroad by registering for tournaments that would expose the players.
He said they have already registered with an African Scouting Platform known as Dynasty League, adding that “It is a league, we call it Dynasty league. That league is affiliated to Afri Scouting Platform. Players would have the opportunity to be are picked by Europeans that comes from abroad to watch the matches”, Abimbola said.
Speaking further on why they set up the part time academy, Abimbola said “We set it up because we want them to mix academic and football. They can close early at school and resume in the football camp in time. Usually, they don’t need more than one hour training”.
“We try to match academy and football together. Most of our players are between 10, 13 and 15 years. We will expose them, taking them to tours, organising tournaments, depending on their respective talents. We started with young talents so that we see how we can groom them and take them to scouting agents”, Abimbola said.
Expressing satisfaction with the club at the meeting, a parent to one of the beneficiaries of the scholarship, Ademuyiwa Faith thanked JJ FC for their goodwill.
Mrs Ademuyiwa said “This scholarship is an answer to my prayer. Having listened to our conversation at this meeting, I can see it is an answer to my prayers. “I thank JJ FC for the great work they are doing. My advice is that they should not relent”.
Another parent Mrs Falusi, mother to a player, Samuel Falusi who also got the scholarship grant said “I am excited because my son has been given scholarship by JJ FC. It is my prayer for Samuel my son. I thank God and JJ FC”.
“I am happy to be part of this meeting with JJ FC. Before now I used to think that football is for people who have no direction but with what I am seeing from the club initiatives, it has opened my eyes to know that one can make a good career from football. I am excited and I thank the club immensely”.
Just John Football Club Ltd is a club registered under Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to nurture young talented players from nook and cranny of Ogun State and beyond.
The club is an affiliate of Ogun State Football Association (OGSFA). Her mission is to nurture young talented players from tender age to free age categories with over 60 players in the club at the moment.
The meeting was well attended by the head club coach, Mustapha Afis Ademola, assistant coach, players, students, parents and other dignatories.
