PRESS RELEASE

Two Nigerian Youths In World Cup Program

June 9, 2006
 

The World Youth Soccer Delegation to 2006 World Cup visited the White House. Two of the delegates, Masters Philp Ikeocha (on President Bush’s immediate left) from Abuja and Ibrahim Yusuf from Lagos (on the President’s immediate right) are from Nigeria. They are adjudged excellent under-16 soccer players by their respective teams, and were thus nominated for the program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. They will be in Washington, New York and Germany before returning to Nigeria on June 24.

Ibrahim Adeleke Yusuf and Philip Ikeocha, aged 16 and 14 years respectively and both football midfielders, were surprised with the news that they had been selected as Nigeria's representatives for the Global Neighbor Youth Delegation Program that is taking place in the United States and in Germany from June 10-24, 2006. The young boys, who were chosen for their dexterous football skills, are part of an amazing group of 30 young leaders coming together from 13 countries all over the world.

Ibrahim joined the Pepsi Football Academy in 1999 and played in the National Schools Cup in 2002. He also took part in the Under-16 International Competition organized by the Pepsi Football Academy and in which his league was the Gold Medalist. In 2005, he was described as the most valuable player by his coach.

Phillip started playing soccer since early childhood but his growing interest in the game led to his joining the Forward Soccer Academy of Kubwa, Abuja in 2000. He represented Abuja in the Under-14 Youth Soccer Championship in 2005 and led the team to a third position. He is a dynamic player whose soccer skills have led his team to great victories in several of the matches he played. Their participation in this program will expose them to international football and the competitive nature of sports in the U.S. educational system and it will also enhance their sporting skills.

The Global Neighbor Youth Delegation Program is sponsored by the United States Government under the auspices of the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The delegation will be visiting New York City and Washington DC in the United States and Frankfurt and Nuremberg in Germany. They will be participating in various activities including playing soccer, teambuilding and leadership activities, meeting with organizations that work with football and other sports in the U.S., attending workshops on current issues, paying visits to important historical sites, and engaging in many cultural activities.

The main goals of the program are to engage youth from a variety of countries in a cross-border dialogue by highlighting the major role that soccer plays in countries around the world; illustrate a spirit of cooperation by juxtaposing sports competition with building bridges of understanding; and provide young soccer players with an opportunity to discover how success in athletics, with an emphasis on teamwork, respect and leadership, can be translated into development of life skills and achievement in the classroom.

This program, will no doubt, serve as a turning point in the lives of both footballers. They will return to Nigeria on June 24, 2006 as changed people.

 

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