MOZZART BET- REACHING THE GRASSROOTS THROUGH FOOTBALL

Promoting the development of grassroots sports and the fostering the spirit of sportsmanship is at the core of Mozzart Bet Nigeria, one of the leading sports betting brands in the world. This mantra gave rise to the Mozzart Bet Football Tournament (MFT), a corporate social responsibility initiative aimed at encouraging rising footballers in the local scene to stay true to their passion and work towards being a better version of themselves.

The maiden edition of the MFT kicked off on Tuesday, November 16, 2021 with the Sura Tournament which comprised eight teams vying for the Cup. The competition which was held at the Sura stadium ran for a total of four days and saw in display the agility, determination and an undiluted passion for the game from the players.

The competition was flagged off with Future Stars FC knocking off Talent Warriors to advance to the next stage after the Stars found the net four times. Next on the fixture was the match between Williams Fala and Wakanda FC. After over 90 minutes of a 1 – 1 draw, Williams Fala sent Wakanda FC out of the competition via a 8 – 7 penalty shootout. 

The second grouping of the quarter final saw Great FC help Eleven Planner exit the competition in a 1- 0 defeat while Greater Tomorrow FC divided United FC effortlessly in a 4 – 1 win.

In the penultimate stage of the competition Future Stars FC went head-to-head against the second winners in the first group, Williams Fala, with the latter claiming victory and securing a spot in the final through a 4️ – 3️ penalty shootout after a 1 – 1 dead heat with Future Stars. 

Great FC's duel with Greater Tomorrow FC resulted in a 1 – 1 tie which was further determined by a penalty that led to Great FC defeating their rivals by a 5️ – 4️ margin.

For the final leg of the Sura Tournament, Williams Fala tugged it out with Great FC at the Lagos Campus Mini Stadium. The match ended in a 5 – 2 win in favour of Williams Fala after three of the team members found the net five times.

The winners of the tournament and the first runner-up didn't go unrewarded. Williams Fala was awarded the sum of N100,000 while Great FC went home with a cash prize of N75,000.

Speaking on the need to give back to the society, Mr. Goran Vuković, the Country Manager of Mozzart Bet Nigeria said “it is pertinent for us as a brand to encourage football talents. We may have a Ronaldo, Messi or Salah amongst these players.”  He also stated that the brand will continue being socially responsible and will contribute its quota to the development of sports in the country. When asked about the future of Mozzart Bet Football Tournament (MFT), he said, “We do hope to continue the competition, moving beyond Sura to other parts of Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Enugu and eventually have a tournament presence in all the states in Nigeria.”