Spires Five-a-side organisers introduce innovations, increase prize money

Participants in the 2025 Spires Five-A-Side Naija Street Soccer Tournament are in for great entertainment as the 2025 edition of the event begins across all zones in Lagos.

The draw for the tournament was held last Tuesday, in Lagos to kickstart the second season of the grassroots football development initiative. With representatives of football coaches, referees, Lagos divisional football associations, the media and corporate bodies in attendance, convener of the event, Dr Femi Bankole-Allibay, said the organisers have a programme that would take street football a notch higher than the best available anywhere in the country.

“We want to take street soccer out of ordinary fun to an economic empowerment venture. We believe in the ecosystem; we believe in the football economy, and we promise to make it happen with street football,” Bankole-Allibay said. He said that because about 87 million Nigerians are youths of between 14 and 35 years and eligible to play football, “we want to do business with street soccer.”

Bankole-Allibay said that apart from the football on the pitch, the organisers have introduced a mentorship programme that would help the youths become better citizens.

“Last year we encountered many out-of-school children. We are going to use this platform to create a database for them and then empower them by training them in jobs that would help them earn decent living outside football.”

On the competition, he said that 40 teams from the five divisions of Lagos will compete in the divisional stages of the second season, with eight teams expected to register from each division.

“Three teams from the respective divisions will advance to the state tournament, and Knockout rounds leading up to group play off and the grand finale. The five divisions are Epe, Lagos Island, Ikorodu, Badagry, and Ikeja.

Bankole-Allibay said: “Players above 21 years are no longer eligible to register for the new season. He said that only players between the ages of 16-21 will now be allowed to participate in the tournament with the target being to develop young talents.

Allibay said that the kick-off date for the new season as well as the prize money and other incentives will be announced next month. White Tigers FC defeated All Saints FC to win the maiden edition of the Spires Five-A-Side Naija Street Soccer Tournament, which ended in December 2024.