Much-loved around the world, football is a popular and valuable sport. Investors in football demand secure and impactful opportunities, which some believe has had an adverse effect on the sport, particularly in the lower leagues and those outside of Europe.
However, the huge sums of money moving through football have allowed entrepreneur Jonathan Bennion-Pedley to establish and invest in soccer academies in East Africa.
Uganda is an African country that is currently under-represented. It does not meet the international standards for coaching, it does not have quality facilities, and the players are not offered adequate mentoring.
On top of these issues, the national associations in Uganda are not fit for purpose. As a result, Investment Owl and Jon Bennion-Pedley hope to make the necessary changes to improve football in Uganda.
Investment Owl and Football
Investment Owl is investing in football to support the next generation of footballers in the region, who have been under-represented in the past. Whilst the European leagues do represent players with African heritage, footballers from Africa itself have not had the same access to professional football.
Working from its offices in Uganda and Ireland, Investment Owl has experience in a range of industries, and its investment in football will be achieved thanks to a simple and proven strategy.
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| Case Study: Football Academy in West Africa |
The Strategy
The first stage of the strategy is to build an academy that focuses on specialist training and mentoring, cutting-edge sports science, and the highest possible code of ethics. This top-level academy will hold auditions to find the best talent in the country, using it’s excellent facilities to enrol the top players.
The academy will develop each player’s talents, after which they will be placed with sister clubs in Europe and the United States. The academy will also play a long-term role in each player’s career, helping them to sign permanent contracts and maximise their skills and opportunities.
The Goal
The proposed academy will be built on an 8-hectare plot of land located within 80-kilometers of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. A sponsorship pledge with a renowned sports brand has already been secured, as well as a commitment from the coaching team of one of the best European football clubs.
The next step is to
raise $1 million from investors, who will end up becoming 50% stakeholders in
the Ugandan football academy. These funds will be used to build the academy
itself, as well as for running costs during its first five years of operation.
