Betway Kicks Off Premier 5-A-side Football League in Nigeria
Betway, a leading international online and mobile sports betting operator, has announced the formation of Nigeria’s first amateur 5-a-side football league, the Betway 5s League. The league will kick off in September, 2018 in the commercial capital of Nigeria, Lagos. As well as being the official kit sponsor of Premier League club West Ham United, Betway has been an active force in Nigeria improving community relations, grassroots football, fitness, and the love of the game.
“The Betway 5s League is organized primarily to further encourage the growing culture of 5-a-side football in Nigeria by creating a competitive annual league.” said Mr Lere Awokoya, Country Manager of Betway Nigeria. “It should be a very competitive nine weeks of football and we expect a lot of talent to be display.”
The league, which will be made up of 24 registered teams, will be played in four locations across Lagos. These locations include two venues on Lagos Island (Lekki), and two venues on the Lagos Mainland (Ikeja and Surulere). Matches will be held on Saturdays at each location over a 5-week regular season. After the season has been completed, a playoff involving the league’s four top teams from across the two zones will decide the league’s champions. The winning team will claim One Million Naira in prize money, while the second and third placed teams will also receive cash prizes.
It is hoped that the Betway 5s league will foster comradeship and inter-community relationships, as players and fans from all over Lagos get the opportunity to interact with one another, sharing moments and memories. Additionally, the league will also offer an avenue for recreation and physical exercise, which will in turn improve the fitness and general wellbeing of all who participate. Fans of the league will be able to watch game highlights, view team standings and see player stats on the official website at betway5sleague.com which will be updated weekly.
