By Gracious Akujobi
Football Fans in and around the commercial city of Lagos are in for great deal of top football excitement this September when Ismaily FC of Egypt, Asante Kotoko of Ghana and Nigerian Kano Pillars assemble in Lagos, to take part in the inaugural edition of the Lagos International Football Tournament (LIFT).
This much was revealed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, represented by the Executive Secretary, MTN Lagos Street Soccer, Deji Aladegbemi at the media launch of the event which took place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Tuesday.
His words, “Lagos fans and, by extension, Nigerians will be thrilled to a four-day soccer tourney by some of the brightest teams in Africa, this September”. He stated further to reveal that LIFT is being positioned as premium soccer engagement platform in Africa. With the plan on ground, the tourney will compete with the best of its kind in Europe, America and Asia in no distant time. This is the first of its kind in Nigeria.
In his speech, Seyi Akinwunmi, Chairman Lagos State Football Association said, “every year, you find top clubs in Europe heading to America and Asia for pre-season tournaments. Recently, some of the top Premiership Clubs in England spent days playing pre-season invitational tournament in South Africa. Why can’t we get them to play pre-season here too?This is one of the voids that LIFT is set to address” he quipped.
According to him, “that is why the Lagos State Government is partnering with LIFT to help improve the game of soccer in Nigeria and make it very attractive for private sector participation.
Earlier in his welcome address, the initiator of the programme and ex-international, Mutiu Adepoju, spoke glowingly about how the tourney will help boost the Nigeria local league identify and develop football talents. According to him, the strategic focus of LIFT is to build a sustainable platform that will expose young soccer talents to professional football careers in top-flight leagues around the world.
Mutiu also dwelled on the imperative of giving back to the society, stating that one of the major yardsticks of measuring success is the amount of contributions you give back to the society.
“It is on record that local fans have been left famished of grade soccer matches in recent times. This explains why the Lagos State Government is bringing back the old days of exhilarating fan-fair and sporting intrigues around the cosmopolitan”
Present at the event, were Peter Rufai, former Captain of Super Eagles and veteran Nigerian Goalkeeper, Tajudeen Disu, ex-international, Captains of industry, sports writers like Patrick Omorodion, Christian Okpara presenters and analysts, including ace TV presenter Paul Ogazi and Toyin Ibitoye
Most of them bore their minds on the positive impacts and leverage the tournament that is scheduled to run from 5th through 8th September will give the Nigeria Football League.
