Dubai Football Centre To Collaborate With Management of MTN Lagos Street Soccer Championship.

Impressed with the organisation coupled with the conduct of Koilo team, the management of Dubai Football Centre has expressed their willingness to collaborate with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the yearly MTN Lagos Street Soccer Championship.

According to the Managing Director of the centre, Anouar Idrissi, the partnership would surely help to strengthen relationship between Nigeria and United Arab Emirates.

"With what we have seen, we are willing to be part of the next edition of the MTN Lagos Street Socer Competition because we believe that Nigeria is in fore front of football in Africa and for us it is a honor that we cannot afford to lose.

The centre started seven months ago and our ambition is to be the leader in Middle East and Asia. If there is any place in Africa that we will want to go, it will surely be Nigeria and for us this team - Koilo has indeed showcase e country that it is a destination for us," Idrissi said.

The former banker turned football coach believes Nigeria has potential in five-a-side football and they would be willing to collaborate with the organizers of the MTN tournament to develop the sport in UAE.

For the handler of Lagos Island East's team, Afisi 'Apasa' Anibaba, they would remain grateful to MTN Nigeria and the Lagos State Government for giving them the platform to travel as well as helpings he players to earn a living from what they love.

For the coach, "I want to sincerely thank MTN for giving us the opportunity to travel because without is competition, I don't think most of us will ever had the opportunity to board a plane not to even talk of traveling.

In 2008, we were in Dubai, while in 2010 we were also in South Africa and this year again we are in Dubai. This goes to show that the company is interested in youth and I want to tell you that through this competition most of us have been empowered individually.

Some of the players now have motorcycle and tricycles that bring in money for them on daily basis and this helped them to cater for their families. I also have a vehicle that I use for commercial purpose through the MTN Lagos Street Soccer Competition," Anibaba admitted.

The coach however, lauded the LOC for its efforts to bring sanity to the competition, which he said has helped to improve the tournament in the season five edition.

 "I think this year's trip to Dubai is the best because we had opportunity to train in a world class facilities under top coaches. I had learnt some techniques that will help me as a coach when the season six starts. We intend to register a minimum of 10 teams in the next edition. I also want to thank the Chairman of Lagos Island East LCDA, Kamal Bashua for supporting the team all throughout the competition," he said.

A member of the LOC, Remilekun Olisa hailed the team for its conduct, while thanking MTN Nigeria for its unflinching support in the last five season.

The 12-man team will arrive Nigeria tomorrow aboard an Etihad Airways enroute Abu Dhabi.