By Nelson Dafe on December 16, 2019

Akwa Ibom-based football academy Ituen FC have been making steady progress as a club that takes seriously the development of young players and giving them major avenues to shine. They take pride in their growing tradition of fine passing football anchored on the ethos of hard work and dedication. Owned by Hon. Idongesit Ituen, a former member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, they have bestrode the regional level of grassroots football, delivering excitement and wins as they rolled on to winning the Akwa Ibom State League recently, as well as a clutch of other prestigious youth club competitions. Now the management of Ituen FC is going a notch further by preparing the young and exciting players of the club for the rigours of national amateur football as they intend to take part, next year, in the Nationwide League (NLO) Division 1 which is the highest level of the national amateur league in Nigeria.

Towards this end of having a successful campaign in the league and to develop marketable players who can be transferred in the not-too-distant future to professional sides in Europe, the club have engaged the services of a well-respected and intelligent young coach to steer the on-field affairs of the team going into the 2020 season.

Anthony Jibunoh was recently unveiled as Technical Manager of Ituen Academy and it is to him the job of shaping the club's recruitment, tactical and overall training policies now belongs.

The unveiling ceremony of Jibunoh took place in Abuja during the trial sessions organised by the club which saw top level football agents and scouts checking out some of the fine talents the club has on parade. The scouting program lasted from 4th to 8th December and had in attendance Giuseppe Materazzi, Technical Director of Italian Seria C club Bisceglie and father of ex-Italian international footballer Marco Materazzi who became more famous from being at the receiving end of a head butt from France soccer legend and present coach of Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, during the Germany 2006 World Cup final between Italy and France.

Speaking on the hiring of the new coach, the club proprietor Idongesit said: “We have just engaged a top coach to complement the ones we have on ground and very soon we shall go into full scale camping in readiness for the season.”

Coach Jibunoh expressed appreciation to the management of the club for his appointment and promises to take the club to greater heights.

“I thank to my family for giving the psychological push to find happiness in this job and this new assignment. I like to also place on record my gratitude to my mentor Austin Eguavoen for the guidance he has provided to me on this path of coaching," Jibunoh said.

On the ambitions of the club, Jibunoh points that the aims are to gain promotion to the National Nationwide League (NNL) come the end of the NLO season as well as improve on the playing philosophy of the club.

“I want my team to make people enjoy the experience of coming to watch us play. So we have a duty to play entertaining football full with intensity and a will to win.”

Ituen Academy have their own mini stadium where they will be playing their home games in the NLO and Jibunoh is impressed about the sense of professionalism that pervades the club.

“The club facilities are in good shape. I love the training pitch as well as other facilities that the club has. Add that to the good crop of players already here, it makes me thrilled to start work with the club. I believe the players have what it takes to help us reach our targets.”

Jibunoh has a rich coaching experience which includes stints as coach of Dynamite FC of Benin City which presently competes in the NNL, as well as being a member of the crew of Bendel Insurance FC of Benin City.

Jibunoh was also one of the technical crew members in the Nigerian Under-23 ‘The Dream Team’ in 2011.

•PHOTO: Jibunoh (third from left) during his unveiling as Technical Manager of Ituen Academy of Akwa Ibom in Abuja. First from right is club owner Hon. Idongesit while Giuseppe Materazzi is first from left.

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 16, 2019

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