ASABA, Delta State — European football clubs have intensified efforts to discover emerging talents in Delta State, with scouts from Slavia Prague FC of the Czech Republic and Widzew Łódź FC of Poland assessing promising young footballers at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba.
The scouting exercise provided a platform for young players to showcase their abilities before international talent evaluators, with a focus on identifying prospects capable of progressing into professional football in Europe.
The programme involved U-18 players associated with Slavia Prague and Raków, who were assessed on their technical skills, tactical awareness, physical attributes, discipline, teamwork and overall potential for development.
Among the officials who participated in the exercise were Uros Markovic, Head of Scouting at Slavia Prague FC, and Piotr Kaspzak, Head of the Scouting Department at Widzew Łódź FC.
The latest initiative follows an earlier scouting exercise that identified two young footballers from Delta State, who subsequently travelled to Europe for trials.
The players are Augustine Freedom of Winsome FC, from the riverine Gbaramatu area, and Oghoghoreva Ewhomazino of Mighty Wanderers FC, from Ukpude in Isoko South Local Government Area.
Their progress has raised hopes of increased international exposure for grassroots footballers in the state and strengthened expectations that sustained collaboration with European clubs could create more pathways to professional careers abroad.
Speaking on the development, Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Mr Onoriode Oborevwori, expressed delight that two players identified during the previous exercise had secured opportunities to travel to Europe for trials.
He described the development as a positive indication that grassroots sports development efforts in the state were yielding results, noting that the latest scouting programme offered another opportunity for talented youngsters to attract international attention.
Oborevwori reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for sports development, particularly through initiatives that help young athletes discover their potential, improve their skills and access opportunities at higher levels of competition.
According to him, the success of grassroots sports development should be measured not only by victories in competitions but also by the ability to identify, nurture and connect talented athletes with opportunities capable of transforming their lives.
He said the emergence of players from communities such as Gbaramatu and Isoko South demonstrated the depth of football talent across Delta State, including rural and riverine areas where promising youngsters often struggle to gain visibility.
The sports commission chairman urged participants to approach the scouting exercise with discipline, confidence and determination, stressing that natural ability must be supported by hard work, good conduct and a willingness to learn.
He also commended the visiting scouts for their interest in the state’s football talents, describing the engagement as an opportunity to strengthen international sporting relationships and expose local players to professional football standards.
In their remarks, the visiting scouts emphasised the importance of evaluating young footballers beyond individual displays of skill, noting that technical quality must be complemented by tactical understanding, decision-making, teamwork and the right attitude.
Markovic said the exercise provided an opportunity to assess players in a competitive environment and identify those who could benefit from further development within a structured football system.
He noted that scouts also considered players’ movement off the ball, consistency, decision-making and ability to respond to coaching when determining their potential for progression.
Kaspzak, on his part, observed that young African footballers possessed considerable potential when provided with quality coaching, competitive exposure and a clear development pathway.
He explained that the selection process involved a comprehensive assessment of each player’s performance, consistency, tactical awareness and readiness to improve, rather than relying on isolated moments of brilliance.
The scouts encouraged the participants to remain focused on their development, emphasising that opportunities for further trials would depend on meeting the clubs’ technical and developmental requirements.
The scouting programme highlights the growing importance of grassroots football in identifying emerging talents and connecting them with international opportunities.
For Delta State, the earlier identification of Augustine Freedom and Oghoghoreva Ewhomazino provides an encouraging foundation for future engagements, as more young footballers seek opportunities to showcase their abilities on the international stage.
With the latest assessments at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, hopes remain high that additional players will attract the attention of European clubs and earn opportunities to pursue their football ambitions abroad.
The Delta State Sports Commission is expected to sustain its support for initiatives aimed at discovering and nurturing young sporting talents as part of broader efforts to strengthen the state’s reputation for sports development and excellence.
