One Network. One Identity. One Remarkable First Year.
Twelve months ago, the V Sports project officially began with an ambitious vision. Rather than simply building one successful football club, the objective was to create an interconnected network capable of identifying, developing and eventually producing elite African footballers across multiple leagues and multiple levels of European football. It was a project built on patience, recruitment and a shared football philosophy rather than instant success. Fast forward to the end of the 2025/26 season and there is already tangible evidence that the model is working. Across the network we have celebrated domestic and European silverware, secured promotions, qualified clubs for European competition, seen young African players flourish in new environments and established development pathways that are already beginning to produce the next generation of talent. There is still enormous work ahead, but the foundations are now firmly in place.
Aston Villa
Silverware Returns to Villa Park
If anyone questioned whether Yaya Touré was ready for management, those doubts have been firmly answered. His first campaign in charge delivered one of Aston Villa’s greatest modern seasons, finishing fifth in the Premier League, lifting two major trophies and taking the club to three cup finals. Considering this was also the opening year of an entirely new football structure, it represents a remarkable achievement. The Premier League campaign could hardly have ended with finer margins. Villa finished level on points with Chelsea, but a heartbreaking final-day defeat to Manchester United allowed Chelsea to edge fourth place by just two goals on goal difference. Missing Champions League football was undoubtedly disappointing, yet it shouldn’t overshadow what was achieved over thirty-eight matches. Villa established themselves comfortably among England’s elite while remaining competitive across every competition. The first opportunity for silverware came in the Carabao Cup Final against Arsenal. It looked as though Villa had rescued the contest when Amadou Onana cancelled out Gabriel Martinelli’s opener shortly after the hour mark, only for Martín Zubimendi’s dramatic 90th-minute strike to hand Arsenal a 2-1 victory. It was a painful defeat, but perhaps one that only strengthened the squad’s resolve. That response arrived at Wembley. Against Newcastle United in the FA Cup Final, Villa produced a disciplined and mature performance. A single goal from Ismael Saibari proved enough to secure a historic 1-0 victory and deliver Aston Villa’s first FA Cup triumph since 1957. It was a moment that reconnected the club with one of its greatest traditions and gave supporters a day they will remember forever. If that wasn’t enough, the season ended with another unforgettable night. An all-English Europa League Final against Nottingham Forest saw Morgan Rogers and Ian Maatsen score in a composed 2-0 victory, securing Aston Villa’s first European trophy since lifting the European Cup in 1982. It was a symbolic moment. Forty-four years after conquering Europe, Villa once again had continental silverware to celebrate and secured Champions League football next season.
The African contingent were central to almost everything Villa achieved. Ismael Saibari proved to be arguably the signing of the season. Fifty starts, seven substitute appearances, thirteen goals and an astonishing twenty-six assists underline just how influential he became. Whether controlling matches between the lines or unlocking defences with one pass, he evolved into the creative heartbeat of Touré’s side. Pape Matar Sarr offered goals from midfield while maintaining his relentless energy, contributing thirteen goals and five assists across fifty-five appearances. Amadou Onana enjoyed perhaps the finest campaign of his career, remarkably scoring sixteen goals while adding thirteen assists despite operating primarily in midfield. His physical dominance and late runs into the penalty area became a defining feature of Villa’s attacking play. Defensively, Omar El Hilali quietly established himself as one of the Premier League’s most reliable full-backs. Appearing fifty-six times, he rarely put a foot wrong while offering consistency on both sides of the ball. January arrival Zion Suzuki adapted quickly to English football and looked increasingly assured with every performance after replacing Emiliano Martínez. Edmond Tapsoba’s impact was unfortunately interrupted by injury, limiting him to twenty-three appearances, but whenever available his composure immediately improved Villa’s defensive stability. Even Lyle Foster’s short loan spell proved valuable. Used sparingly, his two goals from just three substitute appearances highlighted exactly why bringing him in after Ollie Watkins’ injury was the correct decision.
Yaya Touré
“When I arrived, I wanted this club to believe again. Winning trophies changes the mentality of everyone around Aston Villa. We incredibly secured Champions League football next season.
“The players have embraced everything we’ve asked of them and the African core of this squad has been outstanding. They have shown leadership, quality and consistency throughout the season.
“Now the challenge becomes even bigger. We want to compete in every competition again, close the gap to the very top of the Premier League and continue building a squad capable of challenging for the biggest honours. Recruitment plans are already well underway.”
Vitória SC
European Football Returns
Benni McCarthy’s first season delivered exactly what the club had hoped for. A fifth-place finish secured UEFA Conference League football and confirmed Vitória’s return to the European stage. Missing fourth place on the final day to surprise package Gil Vicente was disappointing, but over the course of the season Vitória consistently demonstrated they belong among Portugal’s strongest sides outside the traditional big three. Cup competitions brought frustration. Porto ended Vitória’s hopes in both domestic competitions, knocking them out of the Allianz Cup in an unforgettable 5-4 thriller before eventually eliminating them 4-1 on aggregate in the Taça de Portugal semi-finals. Despite those disappointments, there was enormous progress.
Franculino’s loan proved to be one of the finest pieces of recruitment anywhere in the V Sports network. Thirty-seven goals in forty-one appearances transformed Vitória’s attack and justified every decision made to bring him to Portugal rather than recalling him midway through the season. Behind him, Beni Mukendi quietly became one of the league’s most reliable holding midfielders, balancing defensive responsibility with valuable goals from deep. January record signing Harouna Djibirin showed flashes of the talent that convinced Vitória to invest over €12 million. Three goals and seven assists only hint at his ceiling, and a full pre-season should unlock considerably more. Sadibou Sane continued to justify Aston Villa’s faith with another commanding season at centre-half, while fellow January arrival Arouna Sangante looked excellent despite injuries limiting his minutes. Meanwhile, South African winger Relebohile Mofokeng adapted impressively to European football, contributing consistently throughout his debut campaign.
Benni McCarthy
“European qualification is a huge achievement for this football club. We’ve laid strong foundations, but next season presents a different challenge because European football stretches every squad.
“We’re proud of what we’ve built, but we’re not standing still. Our recruitment this summer will focus on adding quality full-backs and increasing depth through central midfield. We need players capable of handling extra matches without lowering our standards.
“We’re excited to represent Vitória and the V Sports project in Europe.”
Annecy
Promotion Against All Odds
Michel Essien has written one of the stories of the season.
Promotion to Ligue 1 looked secure for much of the campaign before a dramatic collapse on the final day saw Annecy fall from automatic promotion places into fifth. Many teams would have crumbled. Annecy refused. Penalty shootout victories over Montpellier and Red Star demonstrated remarkable resilience before arguably their greatest performance arrived against Toulouse. A stunning 3-0 first-leg victory gave Annecy the cushion they needed before surviving a difficult second leg to complete promotion.
The squad blended experience with youth brilliantly.
Veterans Mehdi Abeid and Fabrice N’Sakala offered leadership throughout the campaign while Ibrahim Diabate’s January loan transformed Annecy’s attack during the run-in. Among the younger African talents, Siyanda Ndlovu emerged as perhaps the biggest success story with six goals and fourteen assists after arriving from South Africa. Gomolemo Kekana matured enormously throughout the season, Abass Badji continued his development with important goals, while Demba Seck attracted interest from La Liga clubs after an exceptional season at only nineteen years old. The arrival of Thuburce N’Diaye, Mfundo Vilakazi and Langelihle Phili further strengthened the pathway and all showed enough promise to suggest bigger roles next year.
Michel Essien
“I’m incredibly proud of every single player. Promotion wasn’t given to us, we earned it through character.
“Now comes an even bigger challenge. Ligue 1 is unforgiving, and survival will require us to raise the overall quality of the squad.
“Recruitment becomes absolutely vital. We don’t need twenty new players, but we need the right players. If we can increase the floor of the squad while maintaining our identity, I believe we can establish Annecy as a Ligue 1 club.”
GAIS
A Project Beginning to Flourish
Perhaps nowhere has the transformation been more obvious than in Sweden. After inheriting a struggling side midway through last season, John Obi Mikel now has GAIS sitting third after thirteen matches, five points clear of fourth place and firmly on course for UEFA Conference League qualification. The difference between last season and this one has been striking. A full pre-season allowed Mikel to fully implement the V Sports playing philosophy, and the improvement is visible across every area of the pitch.
Loan striker Kparobo Arierhi has exploded into life with nine goals from seven starts, while Alysson Edward has continued the excellent form that first emerged last year. Lamare Bogarde has become the midfield leader, Manuel Balde has cemented himself as first-choice goalkeeper, while Ben Hamed Toure has continued developing impressively before returning to Annecy. The newest arrivals have largely been introduced gradually. Yaya Dieme has already started showing encouraging signs, while Donatien Bama, Abdessalem Akid, Modou Sène, Houssem Tarzout, Astrid Aka, Younouss Tembely and Youssoupha Camara are all gaining valuable experience behind the scenes.
The long-term vision has never been about immediate success. GAIS exists to provide first European minutes for some of Africa’s brightest prospects, and this season already suggests that pathway is functioning exactly as intended.
John Obi Mikel
“Last season was about survival and learning. This year has been about implementing our ideas from day one.
“Having a full pre-season changed everything. The players understand how we want to play, and the young signings are improving every week.
“The objective now is consistency. We want to finish strongly, qualify for Europe and come back after the summer even stronger.”
Real Unión
Champions at Last
Samuel Eto’o’s first full campaign could hardly have gone better. Winning the title by sixteen points demonstrated complete dominance and secured promotion in emphatic fashion. The success also raises the standard of the entire V Sports loan pathway. Players such as Max Andersson, Thiago Balieiro, Matteo Vellion and Omar Khedr all enjoyed outstanding seasons, while January arrivals Dame Diop, Kerr Smith and Keilan Quinn integrated seamlessly.
Real Unión now provides another level in the development ladder.
Samuel Eto’o
“Winning the league is only the beginning. We’ve shown exactly what can happen when talented young players receive consistent opportunities.
“The V Sports loan system has been invaluable. Every player arrived hungry to improve, and together we’ve built a winning mentality.
“Promotion gives us a new challenge next season, but that’s exactly where we want to be.”
ZED FC
A Solid Foundation
Aliou Cissé’s first campaign delivered exactly the type of stability required.
Although ZED finished sixth, only three points separated them from second place in an incredibly competitive division. The table perhaps doesn’t fully reflect just how close they came to exceeding expectations.
Aliou Cissé
“We proved we belong among the strongest teams in the league. Small margins cost us this season, but we’ve built an excellent foundation.
“Our expectation next year is simple, we want to challenge at the very top and continue developing young African talent for the network.”
ASEC Mimosas
A Season of Fine Margins
ASEC entered the season as favourites and ultimately finished third, only three points behind the eventual champions. While that initially feels disappointing, context matters. A poor opening period left too much ground to recover, yet their excellent finish showed exactly why they remain one of Africa’s strongest clubs.
Otto Addo
“Of course we expected more, but football isn’t decided in October.
“The response from the players during the second half of the season showed tremendous character. We now know exactly where we need to improve.
“Our expectation next season is to return stronger and compete for every trophy available.”
Looking Ahead
One season into the V Sports experiment, the signs could hardly be more encouraging.
Two major trophies at Aston Villa. European qualification for Vitória. Promotion for Annecy. A title for Real Unión. A rejuvenated GAIS pushing towards Europe. Competitive campaigns in Egypt and Ivory Coast. Most importantly of all, dozens of young African footballers have taken meaningful steps forward in their development. The network is beginning to function exactly as envisioned. Players are moving between clubs at the right moments, loans are accelerating development, and recruitment has become increasingly coordinated across every level of the organisation. Every success strengthens another club within the network, creating opportunities that simply would not exist without this shared philosophy.
The challenge now is sustaining that momentum. Expectations have risen, standards have been set, and every club enters the 2026/27 season with bigger ambitions than ever before.
Next up, The Summer 2026 Transfer Window Round-Up, as recruitment across the V Sports network is already in full swing and preparations for another landmark season are well underway.
The Gaffers Lounge 
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