Warri set for high-voltage 5-A-Side showdown, as Ikpeba Football Challenge returns

...Prize money hits N1m, initiator, Ikpeba calls it appetizer 

By Maxwell Kumoye 

 

Warri is warming up for a football fiesta as the Victor Ikpeba 5-a-Side Football Challenge storms the city from December 18–20, delivering three days of grassroots brilliance, festive excitement and pure street football energy.

In its 5th edition, the tournament comes with a major boost, as prize pool increased to N1 million, a strong incentive aimed at rewarding the grit and flair of local talents. 

With only eight teams lined up this year, organisers say the leaner field ensures better coordination, fiercer competition and an even more entertaining spectacle.

The teams, built around Bet9ja vendors in the Warri axis, will battle from Day One for places in the semi-finals, before the action rolls into the third-place match and the grand finale on Saturday, December 20. 

Bet9ja remains a key partner in what has become one of the most vibrant community football carnivals in Delta State.

The brain behind it all, Victor Ikpeba, 1997 African Footballer of the Year, launched the competition in 2021 after the maiden Lagos edition in Surulere. Since then, it has become an annual magnet for aspiring stars seeking a breakthrough.

Ikpeba says the goal remains unchanged.

“I don’t know if we would have come this far if Bet9ja did not see that it is helping the youths and decided to partner. So, it's a thank you to Bet9ja,” he stated.

“This year’s edition is wonderful as it ushers in the 2025 AFCON. It will be a build-up to the African showpiece. I’m always happy to see these young players sweat for the trophy. We were like this decades ago, and my prayer is that the gifted ones rise to higher ground.”

With trophies, individual awards and cash prizes waiting across board, Warri’s December just got hotter. The Ikpeba Football Challenge is back and the chase for glory is officially on.