The world is now interested in young footballers - New standard set for 5-aside football tournament

The organisers of the Spires 5-Aside Naija street soccer Tournament have announced major changes for the 2025 edition, aiming to raise the bar for grassroots football development in Nigeria.

The convener of the event, Dr. Bankole Allibay, outlined the plans for the new season.

One of the key changes is the age restriction, with only players between 16 and 21 years old eligible to participate.

Allibay confirmed that it is designed to focus on developing young talents, with Allibay noting that clubs have already shown interest in some of the younger players from the previous edition.

"The world is now interested in younger footballers, hence we have decided that the focus should be on developing the younger talents," Allibay said.

He added, "We hope to leverage on the interest shown by clubs in our younger players by creating a channel of development for the young stars.”

The tournament will feature 40 teams from five divisions in Lagos, with the winning teams set to receive higher prize money.

The kick-off date for the new season, as well as the prize money and other incentives, will be announced in March.