The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Salt Jewels FC (a male football club), domiciled in Ebonyi State, Dr Onyechi Nwankwo has said his passion for sports especially football spurred him to form the club.
According to him, the club, which is presently in its fourth year, has participated in various competitions and tournaments within the South-East region and Abuja, the nation's capital.
Nwankwo, who is a medical practitioner, stated this, on Wednesday, while announcing the first ever football Scouting Programme billed to take place between Thursday, May 1 and Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.
While thanking Governor Francis Nwifuru for creating the enabling environment for sports and other youths activities to thrive in the state, Nwankwo said, "Salt Jewels FC is domiciled here in Abakaliki. It came about because of my passion in sports. The football club emanated from the streets - how do I mean? We saw some girls in the streets of Abakaliki who were passionate and interested in football, but didn't know how to channel their energy in actualising their goal.
"This was what led us to move from streets to streets and from schools to schools to pick these girls, while assuring them that we can help harness their dreams. But we were doing this , and not knowing that people were watching us from different places; and we continued until there we went national through the stable of Juddy Chieme Grassroots Tournaments competition in Enugu and Abuja. We were sent a letter to participate and our girls were taken to the tournament for the first exposure.
"That outing was quite outstanding. The girls were given the best of experience and exposure and they had interactions with other talents from different parts of the country and they agreed to the fact that there is light in the career they have chosen. And then we also participated actively in the Inter-local government football competition organised by the wife of the governor, Mrs Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, which our girls made to the last stage. Of course, we also kept participating in competitions in Owerri, Enugu and other cities and they were really wonderful experiences for us. I told the girls not to overlook their humble beginning. The successes recorded in various competitions motivated me to start looking for people (football managers and partners) to push this dream further.
"We have been on ground for more than three years, because remember I told you we started from the streets. However, we took off officially last year, having registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and since then, we have been doing our best to make a remarkable difference. And we are also affiliated with the Ebonyi Football Association (FA)."
He added, "Apart from the Nigeria's system that presently calls for diversification, I'm a passionate football player and lover. I once played for Ebonyi State Under-13. My parents didn't want me to toe on that path-maybe because of the perception people had about football then. So, they wanted me to study Medicine which I did and I'm practising. As it stands, I'm the Medical Director of Rural Improvement Hospital and I'm not doing badly in the profession. However, you find yourself keep pushing and longing for your natural calling no matter what you do. I may have grown past the football age, but the desire and passion is still there.
"I have been sending my players for scouting elsewhere because you never can tell where one's lifting could come from. I sent one of my players to Abuja for scouting some months ago and she was successful. She will be here too with us for this event though she will leave the country the moment her Visa processing is completed. That's what we do.
"Therefore, this very Scouting Programme being held in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, from today, Thursday, May 1 through Saturday, May 3, 2025 will be another opportunity for some young players (both males and females) to be picked. Scouting is the meat of football because you can't just keep revolving around, we need to showcase the players for them to have international visibility. This is a stage where other football managers locally and internationally come to look at what you do, your fit in the game, your talent and skills, and then determine whether or not you fit into what they want. This is where business comes into the entire process, because when you are picked you would be sent to another club as a defender, central midfielder or striker and it becomes a win-win for everybody.
"This is a great opportunity not just for Ebonyians, but young talents from different parts of the country because the very man coming to supervise this scouting is both a club manager and owner in Serbia. So even though our club (Salt Jewels FC) is a a female club, we encourage both young male and female players to be part of it.
"I am not going to be part of the scouting process even though I'm the one that launched and spearhead it. You can't be a judge in your own case. Mr. Tihomir Sloboda, who is the Sports Director of FC Saned Joniskis, in Serbia, is here already and will oversee the process. If you are good, he would pick you; if you are not good, he would not pick you and encouraged to work harder. I will not influence anything at all. He knows what to do following the outlined strategem-fixtures, names of the players, their clubs and every other thing. They know that to do and he would notify us if they pick anyone.
"I want to explicitly and wholeheartedly say that Governor Francis Nwifuru has inspired us so much in this endeavour and direction. One might have a vision but if the environment is not supportive, you may not achieve the vision. Governor Nwifuru has revived sports in the state and his penchant for youths empowerment is equal to none. Having catalysed youths activities in the state, the environment is now suitable for someone like me who have had this innermost zeal and passion to do something like this. The Ebonyi State government presently has the opportunity to utilize what the presence of a sports giant like Sloboda presents, because it takes a high-level networking and partnership to bring such a man here from Europe. We need to tab into this opportunity because the business of football alone can run a state.
"The venue of the Scouting Programme is the Camp David Football Field, Centenary City, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State and the time is 2pm. My advice for upcoming players is don't be discouraged because you have played and participated actively in several competitions and nothing came out of it. So, don't give up. Just keep working hard and preparing because one day opportunity will meet preparedness."
Also speaking, a Sports Agent, Mr Elkanah Joseph, said he is Ebonyi State to encourage the young players and to ensure hitch-free exercise.
According to him, "I am from Nasarawa State, but based in Jos, Plateau State. I am an ex-footballer, but presently an agent. I played Division 2 at Boligarigi Football Club in Ethiopia between 2017/2019. And owing to injuries I sustained, I have not been playing anymore. But I'm passionate and interested in anything that has to do with football. This is why I became an agent. I have interfaced with different football managers, coaches and agents to spread my tentacles. This has led me to develop a mindset that football management has to be done professionally and with a high level of integrity.
"Why? I found that many people who say they are football agents and managers are fake. And so within my capacity, I wish to reduce, if not, eradicate the bad eggs among us since I becoming an agent. I have done scouting for a lot of clubs within Nigeria and Europe. I handled scouting for the Export Promotion Council of Nigeria in Abuja and I brought clubs from both Eastern and Western Europe for this purpose.
"I have also done scouting in many states including Nasarawa and Plateau, and it was during this period that I met Dr Nwankwo. And we have been working together since then. I was part of the scouting process that saw to the emergence of one his players who was picked and would soon travel. So, we are here together to make this very scouting event in Ebonyi State this week, successful."
