The viral story about Simoiben Football Academy placing a €5m price tag on Nigeria U17 star Emmanuel Michael has been termed as false by the president of the Kaduna based football academy, OGN reports.
Michael played all of the games of the Nigeria U17 team at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations but his two assists wasn’t enough to power the team for the semi final, which would have seen them pick a ticket for the World Cup.
He was one of the stars of the WAFU tournament, where Nigeria emerged as champions picking up three man of the match awards in five games at the tournament, he scored three goals from free kicks. His future is one that has generated a lot of discussion.
Speaking on his rumoured price tag of €5m, president of the academy Mrs Sarah Moses Simon frowned at the reports terming it as malicious and damaging to the image of the academy, which isn’t built around making the most money from players transfers rather helping them go through the path that will help develop their careers.
” It’s not true. We find it damaging and very malicious to our image. Michael like the rest of the players we have in our set up won’t be sold to the highest bidder rather to the team that will help advance their career*, she said.
The wife of Super Eagles star Moses Simon also said the situation is the same for Benjamin Fredrick, who is with the Nigeria U20 team at the U20 World Cup. He was one of the standout players for Nigeria at the U20 AFCON, and got rated as the sixth best player at the tournament.
” Benjamin and Nicholas Jonathan who was at the AFCON won’t be sold to the highest bidder rather to the team where they will develop. For Benjamin it will be decided after the World Cup while Jonathan is expected to travel very soon for negotiation with a team”, she rounded up saying.
Mohammed Mowiz
