Ikorodu's Tonic FC wins Lagos grassroots football championship

 

Tonic FC of Ikorodu has emerged champion of the fourth edition of the annual 1XBET Cup, defeating other grassroots teams to win the 2026 competition.

The tournament, which featured more than 100 grassroots teams and football academies, ended at Inspire Sports Arena, Cappa, Oshodi on Saturday, attracting sports enthusiasts, former internationals, corporate stakeholders and community leaders.

Former Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, commended the organisers for providing a platform for discovering and nurturing young football talents.

Ighalo said grassroots competitions were essential to identifying emerging players and preparing them for professional football and future national assignments.

He stressed the need for increased investment in sports facilities across communities and local government areas to engage young people positively.

“We need more sports facilities in our communities and local government areas to encourage young people to participate in sports.

“Football provides opportunities for young people to develop their talents, while competitions like this help discover the next generation of national players,” he said.

Similarly, ex-international and the Technical Director of 1XBET Nigeria, Wahidi Akanni, said sustained corporate sponsorship and government support were necessary to strengthen grassroots football development.

Akanni said football academies required adequate funding, facilities and institutional support to nurture young players and provide opportunities for career progression.

" I'm urging corporate organisations and government agencies to sustain their collaboration in developing the country's football sector.

"With recent happenings within our national teams, its crucial to note that the place of grassroots development can no longer be undermined," he said.

The captain of Tonic FC, Alfred Isaac, said the competition had provided opportunities for young players and coaches to showcase their abilities and attract international opportunities.

Isaac said the tournament had demonstrated that grassroots competitions could serve as pathways to professional football.

He noted that some players who participated in previous editions had secured transfers to European clubs, describing the development as encouraging for emerging footballers.

“This competition gives players and coaches the opportunity to showcase their talents.

" It is a platform where people can be seen and get opportunities to take their careers to the next level,” he said.

The 1XBET Cup, a grassroots football competition sponsored by 1XBET, was established in 2023 to identify, develop and provide opportunities for emerging football talents across Lagos State.

The Proprietor of Maracana, Lagos, Chief Yemi Idowu, described the competition as an important component of Nigeria's football development structure.

Idowu said grassroots tournaments enabled school-age players and football academy members to test their abilities against their peers while gaining valuable competitive experience.

He commended 1XBET for sustaining the competition over four editions, noting that its expansion had increased opportunities for teams across different divisions of Lagos.

According to him, the emergence of less-fancied teams as strong contenders over the years demonstrated the competitive opportunities created by the tournament.

Also speaking, Ifeoluwa Atoki commended the organisers for sustaining the competition but suggested the introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in subsequent editions.

Atoki said the technology would assist match officials in reviewing crucial decisions and improve the fairness of the competition.

Football commentator, Eno Effeh, described the 1XBET Cup as an established feature of Nigerian and African sports, noting that the competition had continued to produce exciting results and unexpected winners.

Effeh said the tournament had become a platform for promoting grassroots football and creating a sense of pride among participating communities.

A broadcast host and sports presenter, Babajide Guerrero, also praised 1XBET for its investment in grassroots football and the welfare of participating teams.

The inaugural edition featured 40 teams, with Bariga FC emerging champions after defeating Odion Ighalo Academy 2-0 in the final played at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos Island. 

Guerrero said the competition's prize packages, valued at more than N100 million, alongside the provision of permanent match kits for participating players, demonstrated the importance of corporate investment in community sports.

He urged other corporate organisations to emulate the initiative by supporting grassroots sports development across the country.

The Compliance Manager of 1XBET Nigeria, Ewuzie Nnanna Chigozie, presented members of the administrative team responsible for ensuring compliance and operational standards in organising the 

The fourth edition attracted more than 100 grassroots teams and football academies, with Tonic FC of Ikorodu emerging as champions of the 2026 edition.

In 2024, FC Bethel Sporting won the second edition after defeating Gunners Link FC 2-1 in the final to claim the trophy. SportsDay Newspaper +1

The third edition in 2025 saw Ikorodu City Football Academy emerge champions, following a 1-0 victory over ISAGT FC.

The 2026 edition, the fourth in the series, featured more than 100 grassroots teams drawn from five traditional football divisions of Lagos State: Agege, Lagos Island, Badagry, Ikorodu and Epe. Tonic FC of Ikorodu emerged champions.