If there is one thing that can pack a large crowd in Lagos, it is sports viewership. Lagos doesn’t just love its sports...Lagos is sports. The game is very important. It is a battle. Everything is a competition even when done for leisure. Watch people go into full-blown arguments over superiority between Messi and Ronaldo—strangers and bosom friends alike. Find huge fistfights over favorite players or clubs all across the streets. It can be deduced that the city finds passion in sports, in the midst of all the ferocity, in spite of it.
For sports events that possess the full spirit of Lagos, the annual COPA beach soccer tourney cannot go unmentioned. A signature event of the dynamic city, COPA is a widely popular happening renowned for its successful mix of sports, music, and fashion – the ultimate all-day entertainment package. Hosted by Kinetic Sports at the increasingly popular floating city, Eko Atlantic, the tournament has been sponsored in past editions, by Pepsi and FCMB, as an early Christmas season festival. A major sponsor and top Nigerian travel agency, Wakanow, offers its services each year, granting an avenue for nonlocals to experience this monumental show.
Beach soccer has been a favorite pastime amongst Lagosians since time immemorial, evolving from the love for regular soccer; the inception of this sporting event in 2011 has only reinforced that love and the general popularity of beach soccer. When Kinetic Sports first conceived the idea for this tournament – at the time, the first-ever beach soccer event in the sub-Sahara – the naysayers were very vocal. Understandable considering beach soccer was previously seen as a trivial version of the sport, relegated to beach leisure for amateurs, not particularly a competitive sport. Besides that, running around barefoot in the hot and itchy sand to kick a ball around for ninety minutes hardly seemed a sellable interest. Most football enthusiasts much preferred the elegance of playing the sport on well-cut grass with functional spike boots.
Fortunately for Kinetic Sports, their excellent promotion and advertising skills ensured that the interest of the majority was captured. The appeal that was generated by the addition of fashion shows, amazing parties, and concerts featuring the most popular artistes, only increased the interest, probably the deciding factor for those who were still mulling it over. In 2011, at the inaugural COPA Lagos, the event saw over twelve thousand people in attendance watch a pre-game acrobatic display on the sands of the Eko Atlantic. The other participating countries, including Brazil, South Africa, and England, battled it out afterward. The cherry on top was when the Super Sand Eagles avenged their loss at the World Cup finals against Brazil by beating them at COPA Lagos. In fact, judging by the Eagles’ performance, it would seem they are more in their element on sand than on grass.
With the inaugural COPA Lagos a huge success, public anticipation for the 2012 edition was a given. The annual fest came bigger and better than its debut, and the Super Sand Eagles triumphed over the Lebanon, Portugal, and Argentina teams. A larger crowd converged to witness the spectacle, and there were special guest appearances from Nigerian football legends Austin J. J. Okocha, Taribo West, Victor Ikpeba, and Mutiu Adepoju. Also, monumental to the showrunners, this second edition attracted tourists from other parts of the world. To top it off, there were performances from music icons, Wizkid, D’Banj, and Yemi Alade.
Since then, COPA Lagos has been an annual mainstay, strategically hosted during the festive period to ensure mass participation; each edition has been a consistent, back-to-back success. Now, let’s leave history behind us and reveal the amazing events and activities that have made each COPA event better than the last. Every edition of the COPA tournament, 2011 to date, consists of three days of fun-filled activity, a medley of events to keep the spectators busy; except, of course, the 2016 edition, which was a one-day event because it coincided with the Beach Soccer AFCON tourney. All COPA events are fun, entertaining, and specifically designed to make the fest a true ‘banger.’
The itinerary ideally features a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) event; last year’s version was tagged ‘Clean the Beach.’ Over two hundred people volunteered to, as the tag implies, clean the beach. After which the public is encouraged to maintain the cleanliness of the beach, and as a result, conserve the beauty of the environment while preserving marine life. The volunteers include the beach soccer players, staff, sponsors, and celebrity guests, as well as the public. Another initiative of the event is the Beach Soccer Kids Clinic, a training program that brings together over a hundred children between the ages of eight and fourteen, to engage in practice ‘beach soccer’ matches, while the professional team and celebrity guests act as coaches and referees. This program is aimed at exposing children to beach soccer’s huge opportunities, teaching them the importance of sports for mental and physical development, and the value of sportsmanship.
More interested in the latest and best collaborations in fashion and design, especially in beachwear? COPA Lagos is just the event for that, a truly versatile production. And, what is COPA Lagos without the exciting Celebrity Match? Watch all the big names in the Nigerian football scene play against the most popular of the Nigerian entertainment industry. Besides being able to witness such an entertaining spectacle, selfie sticks and camera phones can be on the ready to capture memorable moments with the A-listers. Mingle and network under the toasty sun with feet in soft sand and soul refreshed with good music; a memorable ambiance. Who knows what kind of opportunities can be gotten?
Stroll around the beach, catch the fresh air and beach sun; to the more reserved, this could be a whole lot better than sitting in a crowded stand surrounded by several screaming and sweating fans. Wander toward the international food fair, where various exhibitors and food vendors tactically display their culinary masterpieces, showcasing the best of food gastronomies to the delight of everyone present. Considering all the ‘razzmatazz’ of COPA, it’s not very hard to see why this event has gone from being the first international beach soccer event in the entire sub-Saharan Africa to being one of the best sporting and entertainment events in the world.
From music and fashion shows, food exhibits, and pre-game displays to the actual beach soccer league, the Celebrity Match, and a splendid after-party, there is much to be expected from COPA Lagos, and it’s no wonder it’s an event that focuses all eyes on Lagos.
The outline of this series was curated by Favour Umanah