White Tigers Win Spires 5-Aside Championship Back-to-Back

Lagos Island-based club White Tigers have been crowned champions of the 2025 Spires 5-Aside Naija Street Soccer Tournament in Lagos.

Under the guidance of Coach Emmanuel Olom, the team triumphed over Papa SA Football Club with a convincing 4-0 victory in the final, held at the Stables Sports Centre in Surulere on Sunday. This win marks their second consecutive title, having secured the crown in the previous season.

White Tigers took home a prize of N5 million, while runner-up Papa SA received N3 million. Greater Tomorrow FC earned a consolation prize of N1 million after defeating Chekas United 3-1 to claim third place.

In individual accolades, Ojo Rhaman shone as the tournament’s top scorer with 14 goals and was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). He received a total of N500,000 for his achievements.
Coach Emmanuel Olom was awarded N250,000 as the Coach of the Tournament, while the Golden Glove award went to Papa SA’s goalkeeper, Sadiq Ridwan, who also received a cash prize of N250,000.

Dr. Bankole Allibay, the initiator of the tournament, expressed his commitment to maintaining high standards for future events, stating that they aim to build on the success of this year’s tournament in preparation for 2026 and beyond.

“We have already commenced preparations for the next edition and are in discussions with several brands to elevate this event to a whole new level,” he said.

“The Spires 5-Aside Tournament is more than just a football competition; it is a deliberate initiative to empower youth. This year, we introduced the ‘Sports Meet Tech’ component, allowing footballers to learn modern skills such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, graphic design, and coding. The success of this initiative is evident for all to see,” Allibay added.

This year’s tournament featured 40 teams competing in the divisional qualifiers, with 16 finalists advancing to the state championship.