Lagos FA State League Kicks Off April 21 As Teams Increase For New Season

The Lagos FA State League will officially kick off its 2025/2026 season on 21 April, following a successful pre-season briefing and draw held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The well-attended event brought together key stakeholders across the football ecosystem, featuring an interactive seminar designed to educate participating clubs on modern football administration, media engagement and player welfare.

Speaking after the draw, the league’s Chief Executive Officer, Wale Joseph, expressed satisfaction with the previous campaign, noting that the 2024/2025 season recorded no major incidents. He, however, stressed that the expanded format for the new season would require greater organisation and commitment.

The upcoming campaign will see significant growth, with 20 teams competing in the men’s category—up from 14 last season—while between 14 and 16 teams are expected to feature in the women’s division, compared to 12 previously.

As part of efforts to raise standards, clubs received expert guidance in key areas. FIFA referee Olayinka Olajide delivered a session on the laws of the game, while public relations specialist Toyosi Oyetunji spoke on leveraging social media for club growth. Medical and first aid protocols were handled by Dr Tajudeen Sule, and Dr Femi Abioye highlighted the importance of insurance coverage for players and officials in modern football.

For the new season, teams have been grouped into Mainland and Atlantic conferences across both men’s and women’s categories.

In the men’s Mainland Conference are Arubinjaga FA, Unizee FC, Ibeju Lekki United, AMA Smile FC, Top FC, Prodigy FC, Valour 1107 FC, Utmost FC, FC Brave SI and Tuto Atlanta FC.

The Atlantic Conference features Team 360, Chekas Feeders, Emajus FC, Young Strikers FC, Olufunke FA, Bucknor FC, FC Germstone, Heipziban SC, Power of the Cross FC and Ecas FC.

Fixtures for the opening matches are expected to be released in the coming days, with the season set to commence with headline fixtures on opening day.