President of KAGOTE, Lesi Maol, has opened talks for a professional partnership ahead of the All Ogoni Secondary Schools Football Competition slated for October.
Maol, who is sponsor of the tournament, met with management of Abuja FC in Abuja on Thursday, September 17, 2026, to explore areas of collaboration to boost grassroots football development and talent discovery in Ogoniland.
The meeting had in attendance President of Abuja FC and former international footballer of Ogoni extraction, Best Tegbo, alongside Technical Director of the club and former South African international, Lebogan Mashishi.
Tegbo enjoyed a professional career in Europe with stints in Norway and Germany, while Mashishi also played professionally in France and other European countries.
Discussions focused on grassroots football development, talent identification, professional training and creation of international scouting opportunities for young Ogoni footballers.
Maol briefed the club on plans for the forthcoming secondary schools competition involving the four local government areas of Ogoni and sought the presence of its technical delegation during the tournament.
He said the partnership is aimed at ensuring promising talents discovered at the competition are given further assessment and access to professional and international scouting networks.
The engagement is part of efforts by Maol to strengthen grassroots football in Ogoniland and create a pathway for young players to progress from local competitions to professional and international careers.
Abuja FC is a newly formed club that has received approval from the Nigeria Football Federation to feature in the Nationwide League One, the third tier of Nigerian football.
