“Register with the Corporate Affairs Commission and your State Football Association” — Players agent Yusuf urges academy owners to get legal backing

FIFA-licenced agent, Aminu Yusuf, has advised football academy owners to formally register their outfits.

Speaking at a seminar organised by Akwa Ibom State Football Association on Thursday, Yusuf explained that formally registering an academy helps avoid the risk of one’s players being acquired through the backdoor.

He said: “Get a name for your academy, then register with the Corporate Affairs Commission and your State Football Association. After that, go and get a FIFA Connect for your players. The FIFA Connect will give each of your players an ID, so that nobody will illegally take them.”

During his speech, the 58-year-old also acknowledged the importance of academies in the football industry, adding that a lot of them are struggling because they lack extensive knowledge of the academy business.

“The academies are really the ones that are training these players, it’s not the professional teams. Akwa United, for instance, is not a developmental club. The academies are really the ones doing the business, but they don’t know how to go about it, [that’s why they’re struggling to stay afloat].”

The two-day seminar, themed “Re-positioning the Game of Football in Akwa lbom State for Better Results,” was organized for football academies, players, agents, coaches and other stakeholders.

Held at Godswill Akpabio Stadium, the event aimed at educating players about changes to football laws, enlightening academy owners about making academies successful, among others.