Nigeria's Football For Hope Gets Set For South Africa 2010.

After two and a half years of rigorous planning, training and preparation, the Nigerian team to the “Football For Hope” Festival 2010 holding in Alexandria, Johannesburg, South Africa is finally ready to take on the world.

The team, selected by Search and Groom – youth for development center, consisting of eight young Nigerians ,four males and four females,with a young female leader will be representing the country at the inaugural edition of the celebration of the social dimension of the game of football.

The participants were selected from a local programme tagged “Project Excel”, implemented over two years and funded by the “Football for Hope” movement, the key element of the strategic alliance between FIFA and streetfootballworld.

The team Captained by 15 year old Suliat Yusuf, an SS 2 student of Hopebay College, Alaba Oro will fly Nigeria’s flag at the tournament which features 31 other delegations including host South Africa, Brazil, Germany, England etc.

Other players are Akinwande Kehinde, Olatunbosun Kehinde, Ezeala Nkem , Aderemi Ebenezer, a Goalkeeper, Afolabi MichaelEgege Emmanuel and Uzorka Amaechi.

They were all drawn across the five implementation centres, Ajegunle, Ikeja, Agege, Ikorodu and Ipaja/Baruwa of Search and Groom in Lagos, Nigeria.

Olamiju Joseph, a National Institute for Sports,N.I.S, graduate and himself a product of the fervent and selfless service of the organization is the Team Coach Lolade Ajai,.

An official welcome ceremony and draw event held on Monday night and attended by officials of South African government, City of Johannesburg, 2010 World Cup organizing committee, FIFA and streetfootballworld.

The festival is an official event of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and will also be a highlight for the “Football for Hope” movement; the key element of the strategic alliance led by FIFA and streetfootballworld, demonstrating the power of the game both on and off the pitch.