BlessedChild, Okafor win 2025 final

Valentine Ozigbo, whose outfit, Feet ‘N’ Tricks International, organised the just concluded Predator Energy Freestyle Football Championship in Lagos, has commended participants for, once again, showing that the country is blessed with talented footballers.

Ozigbo, who was so impressed by the performance of the contestants that he gave an addition cash prize of N100, 000 to each of the finalists, promised continuous support for the freestylers in their quest to be among the best in the world.

Speaking at the end of the championship held at the Ikeja Mall at the weekend, the World Freestyle Football AssociationWorld Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) board members said: “At Feet’ N’ Tricks, our mission has always been to create opportunities that celebrate African talent and creativity. This championship demonstrates that with the proper support, our youth can compete at world-class levels.

“We are deeply proud of every freestyler who took the stage today, they didn’t just perform; they inspired a continent.” At the event organised by Feet ‘N’ Tricks in partnership with the WFFA, Ezeakabudu “BlessedChild” and Evelyn Okafor successfully defended their national titles in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.

The event brought together 12 finalists, eight men and four women from a pool of 128 nationwide entries. The tournament had an international panel of judges, including Ashley Mkhize (South Africa), Soufiane Msalek (Morocco), and Larry Etuduwun (Nigeria), all respected figures in the global freestyle community.

In the women’s category, Evelyn Okafor took first place, followed by Miracle Ngozi in second and Augustina Unamba in third. In the men’s category, Ezeakabudu “BlessedChild” claimed the top spot, with Lukman Muhammad finishing second and Pete Johnne taking the third position.

The men’s final delivered high drama when Muhammad sustained an injury mid-performance, leading to a 20-minute recess before the competition resumed.