Moses Simon Partners French Embassy for Third Consecutive Youth Football Tournament and Girls’ Camp in Kaduna

Super Eagles winger Moses Simon has once again joined forces with the French Embassy to stage a youth football tournament and a girls’ training camp in Kaduna, marking the third consecutive year the initiative has taken place. The programme, backed by the Moses Simon Foundation and the French Embassy, targets young Nigerian footballers and aims to create visible pathways into the national team setup.

The centrepiece of the initiative is an Under-17 tournament scheduled to run from June 6 to July 5, 2026, featuring selected youth teams competing across the period. A girls’ football development camp will operate concurrently, with no age restrictions in place, allowing female footballers from varying age groups to take part. At the conclusion of the programme, 30 standout participants will be selected to feature in an exhibition match during the closing ceremony.

Scouts are expected to be present throughout the competition, with high-performing players potentially earning consideration for progression into Nigeria’s youth international structures. The tournament is also designed to function as a talent-identification platform for players with aspirations of representing Nigeria at age-group level.

Participating teams will compete for cash prizes, football kits, balls, and additional sporting equipment, with both the French Embassy and the Moses Simon Foundation providing material support to the winners.

Simon, who has spent the past six years playing club football in France — most recently at Paris FC — has maintained an active connection with the French Embassy through sports-focused community projects aimed at empowering young Nigerians. His continued involvement underscores a sustained personal investment in grassroots development beyond his professional playing career.

Separately, Simon’s broader influence on Nigerian football development is evidenced through the trajectory of Brentford defender Benjamin Fredrick, whom Simon discovered and mentored at his Simoiben Football Academy in Kaduna. Simon and his wife identified Fredrick’s raw defensive potential at the academy and provided him with structured mentorship, training resources, and the environment to develop his positioning, tackling, and game-reading abilities.

Fredrick subsequently moved into Nigerian domestic football, representing ABS and Nasarawa United to accumulate senior-level experience before breaking through at the youth international level for Nigeria. His performances on the international stage attracted the attention of English Premier League side Brentford, who secured his signature on a permanent four-year deal.

The Kaduna tournament and girls’ camp represent a continuation of Simon’s effort to use his platform and network — built across six years in French football — to ensure promising young Nigerian talent is identified and supported from an early stage.