By CHIEDU UCHE OKOYE

Super Eagles player and FC Brugge of Belgium mid-fielder, Raphael Onyedika, is training players of Ozalla Football Academy, Awada-Obosi, to become consummate footballers, who will earn their livelihoods by playing professional football.

The rugged Super Eagles star drills the players of Ozalla Football Academy in such areas of playing football as dribbling, feinting, shooting accurately at goal, giving accurate passes to teammates, and others.

Raphael Onyedika, who is not a relation of the famous Onyedika brothers, Ifeanyi and Emeka Onyedika, who played for the Green Eagles and Enugu Rangers International FC, trains the teenage players whenever he’s holidaying in Nigeria.

Speaking to this journalist, Chijindu Ahanwa, a player of Ozalla Football Academy, said that he was nursing the ambition of playing for a European club side while thanking Raphael Onyedika for imparting football skills to them.

“I combine playing football and attending school. I am a junior student of Campus Secondary School, Awada-Obosi. But I registered with the Ozalla Football Academy to hone my football skills so as to attract a foreign football club side.

“And I am very grateful and thankful to Raphael Onyedika for coaching us whenever he is holidaying in Nigeria.

“I am praying that God will bless him, protect him, and take him to the top,” Ahanwa said

Another player of the Ozalla Football Academy, Desmond Maduaburochukwu, who is a student of Awada Secondary School, said that Raphael Onyedika is used to drilling them in the areas of shooting, dribbling, feinting, and passing the ball accurately.

“I am very happy because I am learning football skills and techniques from a great footballer. I joined the Ozalla football Academy because I want to become a professional footballer.

“The coaching as well as the teaching I have received at the Ozalla Football Academy has transformed me to a good footballer,” Maduaburochukwu said.

•Chiedu Uche Okoye is of the Anambra state ministry of information and value reformation.