NLO Nurturing Young Players for Professional Football – Coach

Coach Oyeniyi Oluwaseun of Abuja-based RBM Sports FC says the 2026 Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) Cup is nurturing young footballers for professional football.
This was contained in a statement on the official WhatsApp handle of NLO on Monday in Abuja.
He described the competition as a preparatory platform for players aspiring to build professional careers.
Oluwaseun said the home-and-away format was particularly beneficial because it exposed players to competitive conditions they had not experienced.
According to him, the competition provides an opportunity for young footballers to adapt to different match situations, while helping coaches assess their performances and readiness for higher levels of the game.
“It is preparing them to be strong, to be tough enough for the game, so it is a welcome idea from NLO.
“Kudos to them for organising this NLO Cup because it really helps us to analyse and study our players and know how tough they are and how well they perform in games,” he said.
Oluwaseun added that the tournament enabled coaches to identify players who required additional supervision, training and development.
He explained that observing players across different matches helped coaching staff assess their capabilities, behaviour and performance under competitive pressure.
“The ones that need more supervision and more training, we are now seeing them.
“It is helping us to really study our players based on their performance in each game and their capabilities. So, it is a very good idea,” he said.
The coach’s comments came after RBM Sports recorded a 6-3 away victory over Paul E FC on Sunday, taking their tally to seven points from three matches.
The result placed RBM Sports second in the North-Central Zone standings.
The NLO Cup is providing participating teams with competitive match opportunities, while coaches use the tournament to evaluate players and identify areas requiring improvement.