Teams Light Up Lagos For Round of 64 of MTN Street Soccer Championship

Lagos State will be agog this weekend as teams clash in the round of 64 of season five of the MTN Lagos Street Soccer Championship.

 From the initial 840 teams that started this year’s tournament in the men’s event, 64 of them will fight for places in the last 32 of the competition. Also, this weekend, the female teams will commence their quest for honours when 64 of them clash across the 11 centres.

 For the men’s division, defending champion – Lawal Akapo Street has been grouped alongside Akerele, Koilo and James Robertson Streets at the Ojo Oniyun.

The teams have been drawn into 16 groups with four teams in a group as the top two teams in each group advancing to the round of 32 of the competition. Also to ensure fair officiating in this crucial stage of the competition, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has promised to monitor all the matches with the intention of checking poor officiating.

 With some officials already axed by the LOC following their poor conduct during the second and third rounds of the tournament, there are indications that any official found faulty during this stage will also be disciplined.

 “We will not allow any official to bring the competition to disrepute and we are going to monitor all the matches across this state and we have cautioned all the officials to be faired in their officiating.

We also want the teams to conduct themselves and play to the rules of the game because we want the best teams to emerge. So far, we want to thank the teams and officials for their performance and we hope they will keep up the good work as the tournament enters the crucial stage,” the LOC warned.

 Among the centres that will host this weekend’s matches are Love Garden in Surulere, Elegbata in Lagos Island, Festac Grammar School, Otto Awori, Teachers’ Training Centre (TTC) in Ifako Ijaiye, Funturf in Ikorodu, Oshodi Comprehensive High School, Oworonshoki and Alade Sports Centre.