English giants Chelsea have taken a significant step to bolster their presence in African football by appointing two key figures to oversee operations on the continent.
The London-based club have appointed Achirou Gaoh and former Super Eagles midfielder, Seyi Olofinjana to lead their African scouting efforts.
The newly created roles involve recruitment recommendations across the continent, working alongside a newly-appointed scout dedicated to Africa.
44 year-old Olofinjana, is also the Executive Director of Imperial FC in Nigeria’s third division.
He has been instrumental in developing and procuring football talents in Nigeria, including Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who joined Liverpool in 2015 and now plays for Nottingham Forest.
Olofinjana who was capped 56 times by Nigeria played 147 matches and scored 18 goals for Wolverhampton Wanderers between 2004 and 2008 in addition to spells at then fellow Championship sides Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday.
He also played in the English Premier League with Stoke City and Hull City.
After retiring in 2014 following a short stint in Norway, Olofinjana worked in under-23 coaching and development at Wolves including a role as loans and pathways manager.
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He then spent a year as Sporting Director at Grasshoppers Zurich in Switzerland until 2022.
He holds a UEFA pro coaching license.
This appointment is part of Chelsea’s strategy to identify and nurture talent earlier in their careers.
Over the past two decades, several African players such as Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, and John Mikel Obi have achieved significant success at Chelsea.