Football
is a big deal in Nigeria. Just look around you. Across the street,
there is most likely a young boy in his world kicking some imaginary
ball. For some years now, COPA Coca-Cola has found a way
to bring young people to have fun, showcase their talent, and learn
vital life skills through the annual COPA Coca-Cola Football tournament.
At
the COPA Coca-Cola tournament, young people learn major life skills
such as teamwork, confidence, and sociability, which would be useful to
them on and off the field. The benefits of Football in moulding some
leadership qualities have been corroborated in a research conducted by
Nielsen Research which revealed that more youths actually prefer sports
to the internet. The research which was carried out recently by Nielsen
Research in 16 countries, including Nigeria, found out that 9 out of 10
young people (91 percent) believe playing Football builds key strength
in teamwork, 86 per cent say competing on the pitch helps boost their
confidence, 95 percent consider themselves fit and healthy and
two-thirds (67 percent) think playing the game is more important than
winning.
The
research polled the opinions of over 11,000 male and female teenagers
across 16 countries to gain a better understanding of the role Football
plays in the development of young people’s lives. The research showed
talent to be a key trait that Nigerian teenagers admire in a famous
sportsperson (97 percent) and desire in a fellow teammate (94 percent).
Furthermore, 86 percent cite playing football has helped boost their
confidence, doubling the global average (42 percent).