Inside the Obasa Games Coaching Seminar that Re-shaped Grassroots Football Development in Lagos

Thirty coaches from across Lagos received modern tactical and cognitive training from top European instructors at a landmark Obasa Games technical session in Agege.

admin December 12, 2025

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Promise made, promise delivered. That was the clear message on Friday, 12 December 2025, as the organizers of the 2025 Obasa Games fulfilled their commitment to advancing grassroots football development with a specialized coaching seminar for thirty selected teams.

Held at the Agege Local Government Secretariat, the event brought together thirty coaches drawn from thirty of the sixty-two teams that participated in the 2025 Obasa Games football events. The seminar was designed to upgrade the tactical awareness and cognitive capacity of youth football handlers working daily across Lagos communities.

The session, themed Team Building and Cognitive Development in Modern Football, highlighted the growing importance of mental adaptability, structural organization, and modern football intelligence in shaping young players. With grassroots football now producing some of Nigeria’s brightest talents, the organizers emphasized the need for coaches who can compete with evolving global standards.

To drive this vision, the Obasa Games collaborated with European football experts who served as resource instructors for the training. Aftandil Haciyev, coordinator of the Qarabag Football Academy, and Etibar Ibrahimov, a UEFA Pro Licence coach with Kapaz PFC, delivered in-depth modules on tactical frameworks, team-building psychology, decision-making under pressure, and cognitive training methods used in elite youth academies.

For many of the participating coaches, the seminar was a rare opportunity to learn directly from established European football educators. The instructors provided relatable, practical sessions that mirrored contemporary football realities, equipping coaches to better shape players who can thrive at higher levels of competition.

Teams represented at the seminar include Hephzibah Sports, Fortune FA, Goal Getters, Pumah FA, SC Heritage, SBS FA, Victory FC, Ace Mariners FC, Olhan FA, FutureStars99 FA, ComfortEdge FA, Vinod FA, Mageeco FA, FC Wesco, FA Victory, Getto Tigers, FC Robo, Spotif Messiah, Dannaz Young Cedars, FC Royal, ECAS FA, Papa Soccer Academy, Sabo Kingdom Boys, Provazious FA, Olugbani Bots, Dynamic FA, Prolific Stars, and Black Rock.

At the end of the program, every participant received a certificate of participation, symbolizing not just attendance but a shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of football stars across Lagos and beyond.

For the organizers of the Obasa Games, the coaching seminar reflects a much bigger goal. Beyond the competition itself, the project aims to build a sustainable football culture driven by informed coaches, empowered players, and community-focused development. With initiatives like this, grassroots football in Lagos continues to take bold steps forward.