Players Development Program

CAMP GTBank is held once a year after the football season. The selected students are taken through training sessions on formations, strategy, tactics, conditioning, instructions and physical exercises.

Season 1 (2011) had 28 players (16 boys & 12 girls) in camp. David Mark Penny, Fulham FC youth coach was in charge of the camp. He was assisted by Peter Rufai, an ex-super eagles goalkeeper, Ann Chiejine, a Nigerian female coach, and Yisa Sofoluwe, a Nigerian Male Coach.

Season 2 (2012) had 26 students (18 boys & 8 girls) in camp. Mark Ellis, the Youth Coach for Arsenal FC and Fulham FC was in charge of the camp. Mark had been involved in football development for 18 years and has identified some of the top young English players such Ashley Cole, David Bentley and Jack Wilsher.

Mark was again assisted by Yisa Sofoluwe, an ex–Nigeria International, who played as a Defender. He won 40 caps and scored 1 goal and was Nigeria’s regular left back between 1983 and 1988 – playing at the 1984 and 1988 African Nations Cups. After the 1988 season he left his club Abiola Babes to play in Belgium. He is currently a grass roots football coach working with various youth academies in the country. This will be his second appearance at Camp GTBank.

Anne Chiejinne, a goalkeeper of the Super Falcons team for 15 years, who  won the African Women Championship six times and went to the World Cup for three consecutive times was at the camp to assist in the coaching.  She has served as the Assistant/Goalkeeper Coach for the Super Falcons and this will also be her second appearance at Camp GTBank.

Season 3 (2013) had 40 students (24 boys & 16 girls) in attendance. Samson Siasia, ex-Super Eagles of Nigeria striker, and  former coach of the country’s junior and senior national teams headed the coaching crew which comprised of  ex-internationals Waheed Akanni, Anne Chiejine, and Yisa Sofoluwe.

Season 4 (2015) was anchored by ex-Nigerian international Victor Ikpeba, with 29 players (21 boys & 8 girls) groomed for a week – 31st August to 7th September.

Season 5 (2017) had 36 students (26 boys & 10 girls) in camp. Augustine Eguavoen, a former professional footballer and coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria lead the team of seven coaches that comprised Henry Nwosu, Waheed Akanni, Anne Chiejine, Yisa Sofoluwe, Ajuma Ameh-Ottache, and Jolomi Atune.

The 2017 Camp held from 20th – 28 August in Greensprings School, Lekki/Epe Expressway, Lagos, and for the first time, offered a 2-day coach-training for school coaches and sports instructors, to develop and enhance their knowledge and technical competence.