Abdullahi Mannir, a product of the Katsina Football Academy, has secured a visa and a six-month football trial in Portugal.
The trial trip was facilitated by Mr Murtala Banye, the member representing Rimi/Charanchi/Batagarawa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
The spokesperson for the Katsina State Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Gide Sani, disclosed this in a statement issued in Katsina on Sunday.
According to him, the young footballer, an indigene of Dandagoro in Batagarawa Local Government Area, will undergo the trial with the possibility of signing a professional contract upon attaining the age of 18.
“The initiative was facilitated through a partnership between the Katsina Football Academy and the federal lawmaker as part of efforts to promote youth development through sports,” he said.
Sani said Banye had pledged continued support for talented young footballers across his constituency by creating opportunities that would enable them to realise their dreams of playing professional football.
The lawmaker described sports as a veritable tool for youth empowerment and urged other members of the National Assembly to complement the state government’s youth development initiatives, especially by supporting talented youth in their constituencies and the state as a whole.
“Such interventions will contribute to the state’s vision of transforming the lives of young people through meaningful opportunities,” Sani quoted Banye as saying.
The Director of the Academy, Shamsuddeen Ibrahim, commended the lawmaker for supporting the institute’s talent development programme.
He charged Mannir to remain disciplined, focused, and committed throughout the trial with a view to earning a permanent contract with the Portuguese club.
According to the spokesperson, Mannir is scheduled to depart Lagos for Portugal on June 28, to begin the six-month trial.
“The academy expresses optimism that the opportunity would mark the beginning of a successful professional football career for the young player,” Sani said.