Founder/CEO SPOCS Sports Consultants, Sascha Empacher has opened up on why he decided to form an African Football Holding.* *According to the renowned scout, African teams need to earn more for their players like their counterparts from South America. He spoke to RAYMOND NWADUBA on this and much more…*
*What’s your impression of this year’s SPOCS Scouting Tournament?*
It was amazing like last year’s edition. There were many very good players. I think three academies: Beyond Limits, Grassrunners and African Football Holding stood out in the tournament.
They all have a combination of very good players that have shown their determination and ambition. We have seen two, three players which can go all the way to top clubs in Europe.
*What exactly is your objective or aim with this project?*
Our aim at Grassrunners is to become the most advanced football club in Nigeria. Presently, we are trying to attract the best football talents in Nigeria. We organise scouting in other West African countries too. We just brought a boy from Uganda to the team. He was impressive at the U20 qualifier in East Africa. We want to develop Grassrunners to the very best level, so that we can attract European, American and Asian clubs to take our players.
I’m very proud that we are almost coming to first stage. I can tell you that we have just received offer for Precious Benjamin and Emmanuel Chukwu from Germany and they will soon move to the Bundesliga.
Joshua Godfrey Unoro and Isiaq Samsudeen Alabi will be in France for trials with Stade Reims in the coming week. We’re going this way because we have to deliver the best quality to the best clubs from Grassrunners.
*What exactly is it that excites you about Africa and African players because you have come a long way with African players and your love for them is unparallel?*
I’m 20 years now in Africa. Everything all started in Ghana with my friend here Gigi Mohammed. We started with Isaac Vorsah when we brought him to Hoffenheim and later Baba Rahman with Chelsea now, who we took then to PAOK. We developed it step by step. I like the continent, I like the adventure, I like the footballers. You know footballers are ambitious, they want to reach the highest level and there are on fire because for them it’s very important to make it to the top, families to have better living.
I see this also as a responsibility because it’s not nust a project but something where I see responsibility.
*What has been your greatest challenge since taken up this project or should I say responsibility?*
For Grassrunners I haven’t seen so much challenge because we have experience 20 years and we are doing it with our knowledge. We are also coming as a big team, Helge Payer former Austrian national team player, Nicki Wieners a former 1860 Munich player and many more.
So we are doing it with lots of experience. Of course we also have Gbenga Agbejoye our Nigerian director, I think one of the best sporting managers in West Africa. Therefore, there’s some organisation so I don’t see any challenge with them particularly in Africa. A lot of players in Africa doesn’t know who is a good agent or bad agent who can help them or who cannot help them. They just feel they have to escape for their life which they have in Africa. This is wrong in my opinion. If you are a high level player which you know that you are good, just wait for the right chance and not go for the second best. Grassrunners will be part of our African football holding and this will be present in two or more countries. Our vision is to scout the best players and to help other academies as well with good transfer fees. What we want to do is to help African clubs achieve or get higher transfer fees that they deserve. Look at the South Americans they earn much more money than Africans. So this is what my mission is. I want to create an African football holding where good clubs can take part with their players. Therefore with this quality spring or pool it will help everyone raise the best value on our players.
*We wish to thank you Sascha for your time.*
It’s always my delight.
