Nigeria Content Online

The gymnasium
complex of the National Institute of Sports within the National Stadium
in Lagos, will witness tough battles as the over two- month long Gulder
Five-a side football tournament enters its final stretch.

With the conclusion
of the regional finals in Lagos on May 22, the twelve victorious teams
are poised to engage in a contest for the ultimate prize of N5 million
with runners-up getting N2 million. Of the twelve teams vying for
honours, Lagos has the most combatants, with teams like 401 planners FC
of Ajegunle, Talent Builders of Lagos Island, Ikeja All Stars of Ipaja,
and Kush FC eager to do battle with FUTA FC of Akure, Royal Eagles of
Warri, Tackle Royal of Aba, Ado Babes of Onitsha, Saint Theresa’s of
Abuja, Inter FC of Enugu and two others.

Football fans who
at one time or the other have watched matches of this tournament are
looking forward to an exciting time at the National Stadium in Lagos.
To add colour to the event, organisers have invited former Nigerian
internationals, Henry Nwosu and Tarila Okorowanta among others. These
former internationals, apart from “feeling” the turf where action will
take place, will have sessions with the youngsters aimed at firing and
sustaining their interest in the game.

Prospects for Nigeria

FIFA Technical
Consultant, Heinz Marotzke, is also expected to attend. The German, a
one-time coach of the Green Eagles (now Super Eagles), said the Gulder
Five- Aside tournament will bring about a change in Nigeria’s
participation in five-a side competitions noting that in the past
“Nigeria always participated but never really won laurels.”

He noted that this
will soon be a thing of the past because the organisers of the Gulder
tourney are “establishing a unique and standardized installation
infrastructure which will give coaches and the players a year-long
opportunity for practice and competition.” For Marotzke, who had
coaching stints in Ghana in the seventies and handled top Bundesliga
side, Schalke 04, the use by players of the mobile artificial turf
designed for the Gulder Ultimate Five-A-Side competition was a
development in the promotion of the game.

“You are in fact,
bringing a modern sports-political principle into reality,” he said.
“Instead of building expensive white elephants of stadia away from the
population centres in the city, you are bringing with this project a
modern, less expensive and mobile football field of artificial turf to
the people,” the former national team coach said.

The five-a side tournament will end on June 5, 2010.