Spanish club Espanyol has confirmed its participation in the Lagos International Football Tournament (LIFT) which begins from July 25-28 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos. The club has also disclosed that plans are ongoing for it to launch its youth team in the country.
The CEO/President of the Spanish giants Joan Collet confirmed the trip in a statement issued on Thursday and it reads:
“I’d like to confirm to Lagos International Football Tournament, represented by Mr Mutiu Adepoju, the firm intention of RCD Espanyol de Barcelona to participate in the maiden edition of the mentioned football tournament to be played in July 2013 in Teslim Balogun Stadium,Surulere, in Lagos.
The president also confirmed that the club will use the opportunity of the pre-season tournament to inaugurate a youth team in Lagos.
“This is the first of its kind in Nigeria and we are excited about the prospects. The organizers of the tournament have integrated a Youth Football Clinic which will take place a day to the commencement of the tournament. The clinic will afford other youth academies in Nigeria the opportunity to mingle, train and interact with their soccer stars and icons,” the CEO added.
Other teams expected at the tournament are Ismaily SC of Egypt, Asante Kotoko of Ghana and Nigeria’s Kano Pillars.
Head, Media and Communications of LIFT, Yemi Akinbode, said in a statement on Thursday that the Spanish club will be coming to Nigeria with a star-studded team of 35 people including players, coaching and technical crew and their medical personnel.
RCD Espanyol fans in the country will be presented with an opportunity of interacting with their favourite stars like Hector Moreno,Wakaso Mubarak, Simao Sabrosa, Victor Alvarez and Sergio Garcia.
LIFT is an initiative of ex-Super Eagles star Mutiu Adepoju, an annual soccer fiesta to promote and enhance the quality of the game in terms of strategic, management, organisation and tactical implementation of policies and programmes in Nigeria and Globally.
Am a player of horses of light academy and we re d runner up of the competition in delta state which they told us we qualified for the competition which will take place on 25th-28th of july in lagos,on behalf of my academy am requesting to know of the date which we will be called to represent delta state in lagos
i am a player of horses of light academy who is also team U and ME,and we are the runners up of the fiesta in delta state which they told us that we will represent delta state in the fiesta which will kick-off on the 25th of july..so i am requesting to know when we will be called up for the fiesta…phone number;08068612820