Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, has confirmed his departure from Turkish giants, Fenerbahçe.
Osayi-Samuel made the announcement on Tuesday in Benin while speaking with newsmen after the final of the 2nd Bright Osayi U-13 Football Tournament.
The Super Eagles player said the departure marked the end of a fruitful chapter in his career and setting the stage for another.
“Right now, my Fenerbahçe chapter is done. I’ve had four and a half years there and I enjoyed every single minute,” he said .
As for what’s next in his career, the versatile defender remained silent but hinted that a decision would be made in the coming days.
“In the next few days I’ll have a clearer answer about where I’m going. It could be England, Spain… we’ll wait and see.
“But even with all that is going on, I had to come here. This is home,” he said.
On the tournament, he said he was elated with opportunity the platform has provided for the children to showcase their talents.
“The whole setup was amazing. I missed the first edition, so I made sure to be here this time.
“After seeing how organised and fantastic it was today, my aim now is to make it bigger and bigger,” he said.
The player praised the contributions of the Edo Football Association chairman, Newton Erhunmwunse, his local coordinator and partner, as well as the Edo Sports Commission for hosting the event.
“We’re all working as a team to make sure we can improve the community and I think this is a big step forward,” he said.
Reflecting on the games and the young talents on display, he said that the problem with Nigerian youth football was not talent, but opportunity.
“From my first interview when I came, I said the problem is not the ability. It’s the opportunity and the platform for them to be seen. A tournament like this gives them a chance to express themselves,”he said.
Asked whether he saw the “next Bright Osayi” on the pitch, he said, “Yes, I think I have.
“Quite a few of them have the potential, not just the winners but the third-place teams too. Every team performed well,”he said.
Osayi-Samuel hinted at possible expansion of the tournament, including a girls’ edition and other age brackets.
“Maybe we’ll do an U-13 women’s or go up to U-14 and U-15. After today, I’ll sit with my family and Newton and review everything.
“Coming here has made me realise how much this can grow,” he said.
The Super Eagles star also promised to encourage other Super Eagles mates to join the effort.
“ I think it inspires other players to do the same. The first year was good, but this second edition is already a big difference. Imagine where we can take it from here,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okuta FC emerged winners of the tournament with a N1 million cash prize after beating Sanco City FC by a lone goal in a keenly contested final.
Sanco City FC went home with N700,000, while Nano FC came third with N500,000 cash prize after beating Delight FC by 2-0 in the third place match. (NAN)
