White Tigers win back-to-back Spires 5-Aside tourney

The White Tigers, a club based on Lagos Island, have claimed victory in the 2025 Spires 5-Aside Naija Street Soccer Tournament held in Lagos.

Under the guidance of Coach Emmanuel Olom, the team triumphed over Papa SA football club with a score of 4-0 in the final match of this year’s tournament, which took place at the Stables Sports Center in Surulere on Sunday, successfully defending the title they first secured last season.

White Tigers received a cash prize of N5 million, while Papa SA was awarded N3 million as the runner-up. Greater Tomorrow FC also earned a consolation prize of N1 million after defeating Chekas United 3-1 to secure third place.

In terms of individual accolades, Ojo Rhaman was recognized as the top scorer of the season with 14 goals and was also named the tournament's MVP, receiving a total of N500,000 for both achievements.

Coach Emmanuel Olom of the White Tigers was awarded N250,000 as the coach of the tournament, while the Golden Glove award was presented to Sadiq Ridwan, the goalkeeper for Papa SA, who also received a cash prize of N250,000.

Dr. Bankole Allibay, the initiator of the tournament, stated that Spires will continue to uphold high standards as they aim to build on the success of this year’s event in preparation for 2026 and beyond.

He remarked, "We have already begun our preparations for the next edition and are in discussions with several brands to explore how we can elevate this event to a new level."

"The Spires 5-Aside Tourney transcends mere football; it is a purposeful initiative to empower the youth. This year, we introduced the 'Sports Meet Tech' component, allowing footballers to acquire modern skills such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, graphic design, coding, and more. The success of this initiative is evident for all to see," Allibay added.

This year’s tournament featured 40 teams competing in the divisional qualifiers, with 16 finalists advancing to the state championship.