Disclosing this at a press parley held at the Media Centre of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Chairman Local Organising Committee (LOC), Uti Godson, said the four teams that will be participating in the tournament have already indicated interest.
According to Uti, the four teams that will compete include Spanish giants, Valencia Youth Team, Super Sports United of South Africa’s Youth Team, a Youth Team from the English Premier League and a Lagos U-17 selected side.
He said the committee is in touch with an English football side to send a team to compete with others in the tournament that will take place between August 3 and August 8 this year.
“We are in talks with an English side to have a complete number of teams for the tournament, but we don’t want to let out the cat out of the bag until the deal is sealed,” he said.
Uti promised that the tourney will be of international standard, adding that the state will do everything possible to build on the last year achievement in the hosting of some matches in the last FIFA U-17 World Cup, which attracted very huge spectators.
Grassroots was told that the state wants to use the tourney to boost the tourism potentials of the state and make it a yearly football showpiece.
Uti called on sports loving, well-to-do individuals and cooperate bodies within and outside the state to partner with the state’s initiative in terms of sponsorship.
Chairperson of the Protocol and Ceremony Committee, Tayo Popoola, promised that the participating teams and fans will be treated to the best of Lagos hospitality and tourism.
She disclosed that the main reason for staging the tournament is to discover hidden talents in football and nurture them to the level that they will be good enough to take over the batons from the ageing Nigerian players.
“It is a talent hunt project aimed at producing a crop of players to replace the ageing ones,” she said.
The last FIFA U-17 World Cup hosted by Nigeria, in which Lagos State played a prominent role by hosting some matches, prevented the first edition of the tourney from taking place last year.
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