By Nigerian football icon and former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, is helping young football talents develop their skills through his fully accredited training centre, Staruf Academy.
Fondly known as ‘Dodo Mayana,’ Rufai, a key member of Nigeria’s golden generation that won the 1994 Nations Cup in Tunisia, established the academy to pass on his experience to the next generation of players, both locally and internationally.
Located at the Mind Builders’ School Ground in Magodo-Olowora, Lagos, Staruf Academy holds training sessions every weekend. Rufai says the academy is his way of giving back to the country that gave him the platform to excel in his football career.
The former goalkeeper, who also played for Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands, emphasized that Staruf Academy is built on global best practices, focusing on technical skills, discipline, and personal development.
The academy has already produced several promising players who have represented Nigeria at international events. Alumni include Tunde Makinde, who joined Manchester City’s youth setup, and Nneoma Okoro, who earned a sports scholarship at the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
With Rufai’s guidance, Staruf Academy hopes to nurture even more talents who can shine on the global stage and bring pride to Nigerian football in the future.
