Segun Odegbami, the former Nigeria international and founder of the SOCA sports secondary school, has issued a heartfelt appeal to young Nigerians consumed by the dream of becoming professional footballers — urging them not to abandon education in the pursuit of football glory.

Writing in his column for Complete Sports Nigeria, Odegbami recounts a meeting earlier this week at his Eagle7 Bamboo Garden in Wasimi, where he sat down with a 16-year-old boy named Hope and his parents. Hope, who will turn 17 in January 2027, recently completed his secondary school education with strong WAEC results — all Bs and Cs — and has been earmarked by his family for a place at Babcock University in Ogun State.

There is one problem: Hope refuses to go. He has told his parents in no uncertain terms that he will not attend university, or pursue any other path, unless it leads to a professional football career in Europe.

A crisis playing out in homes across Nigeria

Odegbami is clear that Hope's story is far from unique. Across Nigeria, countless families are locked in the same standoff — children seized by visions of wealth, fame, and stardom on the European football circuit, and parents desperate to secure a more predictable future for their sons and daughters.

He notes that research conducted by Godwin Dudu-Orumen and colleagues found that Nigeria now has more football academies than churches and mosques combined. These range from informal weekend setups to fully organised institutions, spread across every local government area in the country. Scouts, agents, and coaches — trained and untrained alike — operate within this ecosystem, channelling players toward destinations as varied as Bangladesh, Thailand, and Lebanon.

The allure is easy to understand. The column points to the seismic global reactions when Arsenal FC were crowned champions of England, when Spain lifted the World Cup, and when Lionel Messi's retirement drew celebrations unlike anything football had seen before. For a generation raised on those images, the dream feels not only possible but inevitable.

Odegbami's advice: land on the moon

After an hour of conversation, Odegbami helped Hope and his family reach a workable compromise. Hope agreed to spend the next four years — until he is 20 or 21 — building his football skills while simultaneously pursuing an academic qualification. His parents, in turn, agreed to support his football ambitions rather than suppress them.

The column closes with the story of Emmanuel Danladi, a former head boy at SOCA and a self-described average footballer, who is soon heading to India on a scholarship at the Hindustani Institute of Science and Technology. There, he will complete a professional programme in medical support for footballers — remaining within the game he loves, even if stardom itself is beyond reach.

As Odegbami puts it: if you cannot get to the stars, at least land on the moon.