Get Guardian on GoogleOn April 24, 2026, the streets of Awoyaya and the grounds of Ibeju-Lekki Local Council became a stage for something remarkable.
Children lined up, took their turns, and showed the world what they are made of.
By the end of the day, four of them had won something that could change their lives forever: a sponsored place at the 2026 Greensprings Football Camp.
The Keep It Up Challenge, a community talent discovery event organised by the Greensprings Football Camp team, brought football scouts and elite coaching expertise directly to two of Lagos’ underserved communities.
The initiative was designed to bridge the gap between raw grassroots talent and structured professional development by taking trials directly to neighbourhoods where opportunity is often scarce.
Coaches from West Bromwich Albion and FIFA-licensed agent Sylvester Okonkwo were on the ground throughout the day to evaluate participants and ensure the highest standards of assessment.
Each child was taken through drills that tested ball control, passing accuracy, shooting, tactical awareness, and game intelligence.
Scouts observed not just technical skill, but also attitude, coachability, and determination under pressure.
At the end of the assessments, four names stood out. Olayinka Elijah of Awoyaya Primary School, Aliyah Issa of Awoyaya Primary School, Korede Oladele from Ibeju-Lekki Local Council, and Onipede James, also from Ibeju-Lekki, each demonstrated the kind of raw ability, determination, and spirit that the Greensprings Football Camp was built to nurture.
According to officials at the event, the selection was competitive, with dozens of children from both communities participating.
These four young players will now join hundreds of other children at the Greensprings School, Lekki-Awoyaya campus, for five intensive days of world-class football training.
The camp will run daily from morning sessions to evening debriefs, with a curriculum structured to mirror professional academy standards.
The camp’s five-day programme will expose them to training sessions with Victor Ikpeba, a 1994 African Cup of Nations winner who played for Monaco, Borussia Dortmund, and Real Betis.
Ikpeba, who has been a regular facilitator at the camp, is expected to lead sessions on finishing, movement off the ball, and the mentality required at the elite level.
In addition to Ikpeba, the winners will train under coaches from West Bromwich Albion and Lagos State Football Association-certified coaches.
Beyond football, the camp also serves as a pathway to education, as winners stand the chance of earning a full academic scholarship to Greensprings School.
Organisers thanked sponsors of the programme, who chose to remain private, saying that their contribution covered the full cost of camp participation for the four winners, including kits, feeding, and training.
