The 5th Cohesion Football Tournament kicked off to a rousing start amidst palpable excitement and enthusiasm from over 500 young participants representing 32 clubs.
The Union Bank Stable in Surulere, Lagos, was buzzing with energy and activity as the grassroots football extravaganza commenced on Tuesday.
Popular comedian and skit maker, Adebowale Adedayo, also known as ‘Mr Macaroni,’ and Damilare Obagbemi, the tournament initiator, performed the kickoff ceremony to the delight of the young football enthusiasts.
The two-day annual football competition, which is in its fifth year, aims to engage at-risk children from different local government areas in Lagos and Ogun States.
This year, the tournament features 32 under-13 male teams and, for the very first time, 10 female teams.
The tournament’s primary objective is to develop underserved pre-teens between the ages of 9-13, instilling in them the core values, knowledge, and skills required to realize their full potential as leaders of the next generation.
According to Obagbemi, the Cohesion Football Tournament is designed to productively engage these children and steer them away from crime, substance abuse, and other social vices.
He expressed his desire to have the tournament reach an enviable status and expose the young lads to international competitions.
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“We are just starting, just like what I told my team; this is just the beginning. Now, we are excited to have 42 teams from Lagos and Ogun states for this 5th edition, but we are going higher. This year, we have 10 female teams in the competition for the first time and 32 male teams, which means we have expanded beyond last year’s limit.”
Obagbemi also stated that previous grassroots football development programs had produced great stars, especially the current African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen, and Asisat Oshoala, from Ebute Metta to stardom.
He emphasized that the tournament is a good platform to expose kids to the world and the opportunities that football provides.
The special guest of honour, Mr Macaroni, urged the participating teams to be good ambassadors of the project while supporting the tournament with cash.
Besides the cash prize offered by Mr Macaroni, he also gave the first winner in the female category NGN 250,000.
The organizers expressed their gratitude to the Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) and Divisional Football Association (DFA) for their support towards the program.
