Babayanju Street delivered the biggest result of the Lagos State Street Soccer Stars Oshodi 2026, thrashing Oluwani Street 7-1 to reach the quarter-finals.

The resounding round-of-16 victory highlighted the growing competitiveness of the grassroots tournament holding at Oloyede Street, Oshodi, Lagos.

In another round-of-16 encounter, Oremeji Street edged hosts Oloyede Street 3-2 in a closely contested match.

Toheeb Tairu emerged Man of the Match after an impressive display that helped his side progress in the competition.

The tournament, with the theme ‘Oshodi Hidden Talents,’ features 64 teams and 640 players drawn from communities across Lagos State.

It is organised in partnership with FirstBank under its First@Sports initiative promoting youth development, healthy living and community engagement.

The competition began on August 2 and will end on August 15, with teams competing for honours and talent discovery opportunities.

Speaking at the event, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Grassroots Sports Development, Adebanji Atewogboye, said the initiative was youth-focused.

“We want to keep the youths busy during this long holiday. For the next two weeks, we are keeping them together through football,” he said.

Mr Atewogboye said the tournament was designed to keep young people away from crime, social vices and drug abuse.

He added that the competition was creating pathways for talented players to secure opportunities with football academies and professional clubs.

“Many people are scouting them for academies and clubs that can help push their careers further,” he said.

According to him, the tournament has continued to attract attention, with several local governments requesting similar competitions in their communities.

“This shows that what we are doing as a state is yielding good results for Lagosians,” Mr Atewogboye said.

He acknowledged organisational challenges but credited the task force for maintaining order and ensuring smooth participation.

“It has not been easy, but with the support of our task force, we have been able to manage the situation,” he said.

The tournament is powered by Mr Atewogboye, popularly known as SKIBANJ, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu serving as the chief host.

A total prize pool of N3.5 million is on offer, including N1 million for champions, N750,000 for runners-up and N500,000 for third place.

Individual awards include the Golden Boot, Most Valuable Player, Young Player and Goal of the Tournament, each carrying N100,000.

The Best Street Team, Fair Play Team and Community Spirit awards will also attract N100,000 each.

The organisers said star performers in every match receive N10,000 and recognition as part of efforts to encourage excellence.

They added that the initiative supports the Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, sports development and grassroots talent discovery. 

(NAN)