THE FOUNDING SEASON: WHAT EKO6 IS BUILDING IN LAGOS

Lagos no dey run short of footballers. Not one bit.

Check any pitch in the city. Mushin, Surulere, Ikorodu, Lekki, anywhere. Academy boys, university teams, Sunday league legends, weekend tournament killers. The talent is everywhere.

The problem is what happens next.

For a lot of players, there are not many places to play competitive football week in, week out, build a name and actually get something back for it. You can be the best player on your street and nobody outside your street will ever know.

That is where EKO6 comes in.

SEASON 0 IS THE FIRST TEST

Six clubs. A fast, loud 6v6 competition built around good football, personality and entertainment.

The first six are Gbagada 09, Ikorodu United, Yaba Athletic, Surulere FC, Agege Lions and Lekki Rovers.

Before any of them can kick a ball, they need players. Applications open to footballers across Lagos. Shortlisted players are invited to trials, and from there the final 64 are chosen.

Those 64 become the first class of EKO6. The Founding 64.

THIS IS NOT THE FINISHED PRODUCT

Season 0 is the proof of concept. Start small, see what works, then build.

It runs as a short tournament: two days in December 2026 and twelve matches, nine in the league phase and then the semi-finals and the final. If the demand is there, the next step is a proper EKO6 season: games every week, a live table, player stats, rivalries, transfers and a title race that builds over time.

PLAYERS SHOULD EAT FROM THIS

EKO6 wants players to earn from playing. It starts small, but it is real money: ₦400,000 for the champions, ₦20,000 each for King of Eko and the Golden Glove, and cash challenges in every match.

Score a direct free kick? ₦5,000. Keeper saves a penalty? ₦3,000. Hit eight goals in one match? ₦10,000.

The champions' ₦400,000 is split by the book: ₦40,000 to the head coach and ₦360,000 shared equally between the players who played. Everything is in the rulebook, verified against the official match record and paid straight to the person who earned it. Match rewards land within seven days, and the big prizes within 14.

As the competition grows, so should the opportunities: regular match payments, bonuses, sponsorship and eventually proper player contracts.

We are not pretending to build all of that in one season. Season 0 is about finding out if people really want this.

• Do players want to play in it?
• Will people come and watch?
• Will supporters start picking sides?
• Can the clubs build real identities?
• Can players become names people recognise?

If the answer is yes, EKO6 has somewhere to go. More matches. More money. More clubs. More chances for players. And in time, a proper mini-football league built in Lagos.

Every competition has a first season. This one is ours.