The president of Septagon Football Club of Maiduguri, Ambassador Usman Ahmad Geidam ‘Bala’, has said the target of the amateur club side is to immediately gain promotion to the Nigeria National League (NNL), from where they will work harder to play in the elite division of the Nigerian professional league. In this interview with Trust Sports, the football enthusiast spoke on the performance of his club in the ongoing Nigerian Nationwide League One (NLO) season at Gombe centre, the challenges of sponsoring a private club and the general apathy towards youth football development in the north.
How satisfied are you with your club’s performance in the ongoing Nationwide League One season?
I am completely satisfied with the performance of my boys because at the moment we are on top of the table. We are yet to lose a single match. We also hope to achieve even better results in the second round because our target is to gain promotion to the NNL.
Your club is privately owned, so how are you dealing with the welfare of your players who are featuring in the league?
Sponsoring a football club is capital intensive but I am doing my best because I have passion for football and youth empowerment. I am yet to get help from either the government or companies in Maiduguri so it is actually not easy but we keep pushing.
What is your assessment of the other clubs in the same group with Septagon FC?
Most of the clubs have good players who are not new to this level of football. So, they are also giving a good account of themselves but we are more prepared and hungry for success. We have clubs from Adamawa, Yobe and the host state, Gombe.Thank God, so far, the officiating has been good. The referees are also doing their best to give every club a level playing field.
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What informed your decision to float Septagon FC?
I was born and brought up in Maiduguri and I was there when the Boko Haram crisis started. Throughout the insurgency, I have been in Maiduguri and I noticed that idle youths were easily lured by the insurgents. So, one of the reasons I decided to set up a football club is to keep the youths busy and give them a future. It is said an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. I am also helping to take the teeming youths of Borno State off the streets. I am exposing them to the world through football. Today, we are in Gombe which for many of them is their first time. From here, we will move to Jos which will also be the first for most of the boys. So, these are some of the factors that motivated me to float Septagon FC.
What are the major challenges you are facing as a club proprietor?
The main problem is that in the north, most people don’t see football or sports generally as business or a means of livelihood. Most people don’t know that with football, you can move from nobody to somebody. Those of us who want to help the talents that abound in the state are not being encouraged by the government and corporate organisations. So, lack of sponsorship is a big challenge. And when you identify a good player and you want to take him out of his immediate environment, his father will say no. This is one of the reasons most of our talents are wasting away. But I want to say that even in the northeast, some states like Gombe and Bauchi are more interested in sports. In Borno, apart from El-kanemi Warriors, the next club is Septagon FC. Yobe boasts of only Yobe Desert Stars. But in Gombe, we have more than six clubs that are participating in the NLO. The support for football in Borno and Yobe isn’t encouraging. In fact, the north generally is lagging behind in sports development. When you travel down south, you will find out that they have embraced sports and are willing to invest in it. The governments and multi-nationals willingly sponsor sport clubs and athletes.
Does it mean the Borno State government didn’t support your club to compete in the ongoing NLO season?
Like I said before, I am the one who is sponsoring the club from my lean purse. I wrote to them that we are going to feature in the NLO and since all the players are from Borno State, they should assist us but there was no positive outcome. But it will interest you to know that Gombe State supported her clubs with N30m while in Kaduna, an individual gave the clubs N20m but there is no help for those of us from Borno State. My joy is that one day, these players will excel in football. Maybe when they begin to play for the national teams or top clubs in Europe, they will come forward to identify with us. For now, we are like orphans. I am not condemning anyone but I feel strongly that considering the fact that Borno is seen as the epicenter of insurgency in the country, the government should be more interested in supporting sports to turn the minds of the youths away from social vices.
How much profit have you made from your investment in Septagon FC?
Apart from trophies, I have not gained financially but I am not worried because I am not doing it solely for money. Though we are targeting money because you can’t do without money, for now I am being driven by passion. I buy all the kits and take care of the players’ welfare from my pocket. For now, there is no financial gain but I am trusting God that in future, we would reap bountifully from the transfer of our players to bigger clubs.
Where do you want to see Septagon FC in the next five years?
Our immediate target is to gain promotion to the Nigeria National League and then the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). We want to add to the number of privately owned clubs like Doma United, Remo Stars, Sporting Lagos, who are making waves in the NPFL. Our future is bright because we have talented players who are technically good. I want to assure everyone that in the next few years, Septagon players will be in all the national teams of Nigeria. As we speak, two of our players are in the Golden Eaglets camp in Abuja. We are also preparing our players for European markets. I will be the happiest man when my players are playing for Nigeria or the top clubs in Europe.
When and how did your interest in football start?
Well, I am passionate about football but it developed when I became a regular visitor to the field close to my house. Each time I closed from work, I went there to watch football. I began by donating balls and jerseys to them. From there, I set up my own football club and today, by the special grace of God, I have raised one of the best organised amateur football clubs in Nigeria.
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