Nasarawa State-born Central Bank of Nigeria Gombe Branch Manager, Shehu Alhaji Goringo, has revealed why he founded a football team, Zaki Mai Riga Football Academy.
In an exclusive interview shortly after his team’s 3-0 loss to Nigeria Professional Football League side, Nasarawa United, in a Pre-season friendly match on Tuesday at the New Jos Stadium, Plateau State, the financial expert said,
“I am from Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
“I have a strong passion for football, even though I couldn’t play it to the professional level.
“But, in a way to give back to the society, especially where I work, I decided to set-up this Academy.
“At the moment, we have a couple of players plying their trade abroad, specifically in Turkey, and a few others with NPFL side, Gombe United.
“We are a team with a bunch of talents who are growing very fastly, and my vision is to ensure that I graduate this Football Academy to a higher level, even if it means getting to the elite Nigeria Professional Football League status.
“So, I am doing everything humanly possible to get more of the boys engaged in clubs in Nigeria and abroad as well.”
Founded in 2018, Zaki Mai Riga Football Academy who use the Old Dukku Stadium, Gombe, as their home ground, have a total of fifty talented young players in their fold, and are focused on becoming a formidable football force to reckon with in the foreseeable future.
The Academy reached the Semi-finals stage of the Gombe State FA Cup in 2021 where they lost gallantly to elite division Club, Gombe United.
