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Finns dreams to build sports academy in Akabo

By Meu-Technologies| 2025-09-14 10:05:11 | Akabo United, FC 2025

A Finns born Lady Sinervo Nicol Tina says, one of her life legacy dreams is to build a Sports Academy in Akabor community of Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria.

Tina who’s the Vice President and Promoter of Akabor United Football Club, Akabor disclosed this on Thursday at Akabor Community Primary School field, the training pitch of the grassroot based amateur football team while addressing Sports Journalists on the activities of the club under the auspices of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN Imo State chapter. The Finns who is detailed to leave Nigeria this Sunday to her country, Finland informed that she joined the club about 3 years ago with a mission of helping the team to also gets collaborative partnership in Finland, noted that her Finn’s government has established a world classed football academy in Abuja, Nigeria.

She also informed that, she’s a Lecturer in one of the Universities in Finland, as well as a graduate of Sports Management in one of the Universities, committed in visual arts, culture and helping youths to discover and harnessed themselves for their future.

The Sports Ambassador, recalled that the club started as legacy Football Club of Akabor but later changed to Akabor United FC, courtesy of her registration with Nigeria, Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, noting that her interest in knowing people’s culture also motivated her into joining the club as one of the leeways to achieve her academic mission, helping the club, empowering the youths and humanitarianily advanced the people’s welfare, especially the people of Akabor community.

She pointed out that due to her resilience , doggedness, vision and mission, she has been able to opened several benefitting doors for the club in Abuja and Imo State, even as she has equally established a collaborative partnership with the State Ministry of Youth and Sports, using the Commissioner, Sir Evaristus Onyeocha as a point of leverage for the club.

The Vice President also informed that it’s not only through sports like football that she wants to use in empowering the youths of Akabor, that she is equally preparing them for over sea trips so as to ensure that their stay is easy and seamlessly.

According to her, ” I feel thrilled to be part of this, I feel Nigeria and particularly Imo State is part of my daily life. This is my second home, can I have a house here ? Yes, why not ? I see these players have a brighter future and they will go a long way, as a business abroad, we are co-owners of the club, and am determined to push them further, am more of a Nigerian now.

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“Am coming again next year and with every co-operation, in Finland we have a football academy, it’s Congo based and a foundation that takes care of immigrations with respect to different African countries and they sponsored the last year November scout programme.

“We’re doing mind setting training among the players, telling them what modern football requires, it’s not enough to kick the ball and to help them build up their future, which is my fundamental goal. They train every day, morning and evening, under the sun and rain, nobody get paid, not even me, they are my boys, we are working together for the future. “They are always with me, we eat together and we talk all the time. It’s for them, am making all these sacrifices, I want them to succeed. There’s this issue of gender bias because football seems to be male dominated business, am breaking the jinx, atimes, you hear this, who’s she ? She’s trying, am not trying, I see it as equal partners in serious business.

“Am educating them, to help them grow further and better. We’re building a serious football club family, that is, building the future of the players, if we can market one or two players to good clubs abroad, I will be very happy and feel fulfilled.

“We need serious sponsors, and this is were the governments, corporate bodies and wealthy individuals should come in, these young boys have a better future but they need to be assisted, encouraged, groomed and aided. Am not asking so much, and am not getting any thing from this, so am all theirs, I eat and drink with all of them. I feel free and at home with them”.

She further expressed worries over the insecurities phobia people outside Imo State have against the State and advised the State government on the need to address it. Speaking also, the Head Coach of the Club, Mr. Darlington Arikaibe Onyedikachi, said that the football club was founded since 2018, but made impressive outings in 2022 as they registered with Imo FA in 2023 and got incorporated in 2024 with CAC.

Onyedikachi expressed the resolved of the Club’s management to have a collaborative partnership with Imo SWAN for the creation of visibility. He pointed out that since their inception, they have always been in Abuja, participating in scouting programmes that led to one of their key players to got an oversea deal, Precious Akuwudike but was frustrated and unjustly denied visa by the country’s Embassy in Nigeria.

The Sweat Merchant lamented that it has not been an easy task running the club as it is capital intensive and with financial constraints, while canvassing their need for bus and camping facilities. He revealed that plans have been advanced for two members of the club to join a reputable football academy in Abuja and another invited for the nation’s Under 18 team. Onyedikachi expressed optimism that the club has been making tremendous impacts, but need serious investors to invest in the club for optimal results

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