Former footballer gives back through his academy

Injury is what destroys the dreams of players because their career becomes shattered, but a young player, Fanka Frankline Ngalim got injured and succeeded to change his dream to give back what football has given him by helping young players make a career and live their dreams.F.

Frank Football Academy created barely a year ago has a player in the Junior National Team, in clubs in Asia and the academy has flirted with other national team selections a well as elite teams.

Despite their early exist from the cup of Cameroon qualifiers; F. Frank Football Academy has lofty dreams of leaping to the third division in the upcoming season and carving a niche for themselves in the football community.

The President and Founder of F. Franklin Football Academy, who has served as a assistant coach for United Emirates, former player of Ngalla Quan, Al Shaab, Al Rustaq Club Oman and Emirates club unveiled his vision for young players to lions4life.com.

Read Excerpts:

What is the idea behind F. Frank Football Academy?

F. Frank Football is a giver of opportunities for young players to grab and become professionals, live their dreams and make a living given that in Cameroon youth football lacks the necessary support. You know if players don’t have at least seven years of experience they cannot play in first division teams.

What category of players do you host?

We work with players from 19 years and below because the future lies in the youths who need to play constructive football.

F. Football has been eliminated from the cup of Cameroon what evaluation can you make of your team?

The game against Fauve Azur was a difficult; it was not a bright day for us, not because of the standard of the game, but because we committed so many errors to conceive so many goals in 19 minutes. The team was led 3-0 which made it hard to turn the tides. However, there is still the league to play and qualify for the third division as a newly created academy.

Apart from the experience in the cup of Cameroon does F. Frank Football have any other experience?

Away from the league, the team has been playing friendly matches with first division teams, national team selections- the junior national team, the cadet national team and clubs in Bertoua and Ebolowa. To me, football lies in games and matches mean so much. A player in the fifth or sixth division with 35 matches a season and a player 10 matches in the first division there is no comparison. Matches are important for a player not the division.

Who is Frank, where did he play and what has been his career?

I started playing with Njalla Quan Sports Academy then moved to the reserve team of Canon of Yaounde and later to Chris Academy a second division team in Ebolowa from where I moved to the United Arab Emirates. There I played with Al Shaab club and then Al Rustaq club in Oman and Emirates club in the United Arab Emirates. I got injured and stayed away for two seasons after which I decided to come back to Cameroon to give the youths what I did not have when I was struggling in Cameroon; that is, the right training and the right connections.

Do you think you have the right connections?

I have more than the right connections, I don’t go where I don’t know, I go to where I played and I am known.

What do you think is the future of F. Frank Football Academy?

I think in the next five years, the academy will not only be heard of by name but from the trophies won, the play style and players in major leagues of the world, the project is a long one. We are just a year gone and we have a player in the junior national team, Ntepe Jean. There is also Mombon Sherif Boniface in Al Orooba third highest goals scorer and Fon Terence Mussi in Al Hamriah club all from Frank Football. Memoli Fouda Stephane, champion with Hatta club in Dubai and six players who left the F. Frank Football Academy have succeeded in clubs abroad.

What would you say to people who don’t consider United Emirates championship?

To me it is a big championship, because it is a professional league. When I take players from my academy I send them first to academies it is a better option before the first team because coaches come from Brazil, England and everywhere in the world to scout. In academies there is standard training, the players are competitive and they earn something better to take care of their families. Those who doubt the United Emirates championship are ignorant of the realities, I must say.

How did you venture into management?

After playing in Dubai I decided to study in the United Emirates and Qatar and got the Asian C License before getting into management.

What is the challenge as you venture into management?

The challenge is lack of sponsors, I work with personal funds earned out of football and I try to give the youths the opportunities aiming to see them somewhere tomorrow. If one succeeds to a great team or club I will be a better person so I can say I am investing in the youths. For sponsors to come I have to proof my worth, show what I am capable of doing.