By; AYO OJEDOKUN, Lagos
A total of 16 U-23 grassroots football teams will feature in the maiden LEG Lagos Football challenge expected to hold from April 2-10, 2018 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
The championship exclusively for players between the ages of 18 and 23 and tagged “Festival of Football Academies ” will be played on a round robin basis with the best two teams in the four group format qualifying for the knockout stage.
Director General of the championship Hon.Abdoulbaq Ladi Balogun told New Nigerian Sports that the decision to organise the tournament was borne out of the desire to ensure a sustainable football culture with durable structures and professional organisation in a consistently enabling environment.
According to him, the annual tournament is designed to create a niche for passion , natural flair and fair competition among football academies in Nigeria and beyond as well as offer scouts,football managers, sport administrators and national team coaches opportunity to discover young players who will be inspired to become great footballers in future.
He announced that there will also be a development seminar which will coincide with the draw ceremony on March,31 while there will be individual prize awards such as Most Valuable Player, Highest Goal Scorer, Best Goalkeeper, Best Behaved Team Best Referee, Best Coach and the LEG Star Team in honour of Jay Jay Okocha, Rashidi Yekini, Peter Rufai, Mutiu Adepoju, Linus MBA, Samson Siasia.
Senior Special Assistant on Sports to Lagos State Governor, Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye commended the organisers for the wonderful initiative with a promise that Lagos State Government will always encourage sports development in the state.
There will be trophies and cash prizes for the winner of the 10 day tournament as well as the first and second runners- up.
