Soccer
Ibadan will host an influx of young football talent in early January as Adeyemi Football Club prepares to stage the X-TOUCH Next-Gen Football Star Quest, Soccernet.ng reports.
This is a three-day scouting programme designed to identify and develop Nigeria’s next generation of stars.
The talent discovery camp will run from January 7 to 9, 2026, at Barracks Stadium and is being delivered by UK-based football agency X-TOUCH Sports, whose focus is on creating direct pathways for African players into European football systems.
The project received a final green light after FIFA-licensed agent and X-TOUCH founder, OlaOlu Adedayo, held coordination meetings with the Adeyemi family in Dortmund, Germany.
The discussions confirmed operational readiness and reaffirmed institutional support from the Karim Adeyemi Foundation, with Bundesliga forward Karim Adeyemi lending his backing to the initiative.
Adeyemi FC will drive on-ground execution in Ibadan, handling coaching support, logistics, facility management and player welfare.
Established in Southampton, England, X-Touch Sports continues to expand its technical reach and recently appointed experienced German tactician Thomas Geist as its Strategic Technical Adviser, strengthening the camp’s professional framework.
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Chairman of Adeyemi FC, Abiodun Adeyemi, disclosed that more than 100 players are expected to participate in the programme, which will combine intensive training drills, tactical education, and competitive match assessments.
Reacting to the completion of preparations, OlaOlu Adedayo expressed confidence in the project’s impact.
“With Adeyemi FC hosting and the Karim Adeyemi Foundation fully supporting, everything is now in place to deliver a credible and impactful scouting experience. This is about execution and opportunity,” he said.
According to him, the objective is to identify outstanding talents and support their transition into higher levels of football development.
“This is about discovering the next football star. By the end of the camp, a select number of players will be identified and guided toward the next stage of their football development,” he said.
Participants aged 16 to 19 will be assessed by a technical team made up of X-TOUCH scouts, Adeyemi FC coaches, and officials from the Karim Adeyemi Foundation. Exceptional performers may attract opportunities with European academies or clubs within X-Touch’s global network.
Adedayo expressed confidence that the structure in place will deliver meaningful outcomes for the players involved, stressing that the camp is built around credibility, opportunity and execution.
Ayomide Oguntimehin
Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Editor at Soccernet.ng. He has interviewed Super Eagles stars like William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Ademola Lookman, and is known for breaking major transfer stories.
Ayomide has worked with Sports Brief, Naija News and served as Social Lead Editor at Legit.ng. He has also featured on Goal, TVC News, Sports Mole, and Milan News24. He holds a Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a PhD. Follow Ayomide on X (formerly Twitter): @ayo_oguntimehin
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