Football stakeholders in Anambra State are gearing up for one of the best all-inclusive grassroots competitions in the state, the Tiger Street Football Tournament, which debuts in Awka next month.

According to the organisers of the competition, the Tiger Street Football Tournament is aimed at giving street football the stage it deserves in the country.

“In Nigeria, football doesn’t begin in academies or polished stadiums: it begins in the streets,” Potfolio Manager, Premium Brand, Maria Shadeko said yesterday.

“Street football is the sound that echoes amidst the quiet in every neighbourhood, the laughter of children playing barefoot, and the determinant of neighbourhood bragging rights. These rough, improvised pitches have given the country not just its culture of play but also some of its most iconic stars.

“This October, International Premium brand, Tiger Beer, is launching its global platform, the Tiger Street Football Tournament, in Nigeria for the first time with a bold vision: to give street football the stage it deserves.”

Shadeko noted that the five-a-side competition is designed to ignite the fearless, uncaged energy of young Nigerians and celebrate their raw and unfiltered love for football.

“Non-professional players – students and hustlers, dreamers and hidden talents – will form teams of eight and battle through a knockout format beginning with the round of 16. Each city will host its own full competition, culminating in a one-day spectacle of semifinals and finals.

“The stakes are high: the champion team will walk away with N5 million, with N3 million for second place and N1 million each for third and fourth positions,” Shadeko stated.