In 2010, the vision for Champs City was born. By January 11, 2011, the football arm of the club was formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. From the beginning, our mission was clear: to establish one of Africa’s most sustainable, professionally run, and profitable football clubs.
As with any bold vision, the path was far from straightforward. Yet, armed with conviction, resilience, and adaptability, we pursued our dream. From 2010 to 2015, we took decisive steps forward. However, when it became evident that our progress fell short of our initial goals, we made the difficult decision to pause operations.
Fast forward nearly a decade, and we are back—bigger, better, and reimagined. This period of reflection allowed us to refine our approach, build capacity, and broaden our vision “to speak to humanity and inspire the world through sports”. Our core mission to create an eternal sports city of world champions remains steadfast, but our reach has expanded.
Our brand slogan, “Sport with Soul,” encapsulates the heart of Champs City. It is a call to action for all who share our passion and purpose. We invite you to join this exciting journey by subscribing to Champs World Magazine (available in digital and print), following Champs TV on YouTube, and connecting with us on social media. Together, we’ll bring this vision to life.
We welcome you to partner with us as a fan, member, sponsor or supporter. Together, we will inspire individuals and uplift communities—one step, one story, and one success at a time.
Let’s make history. Be a Champ. Join us today.
Champs World magazine crew recently had an interesting conversation with Jude Agada, Champs City Football Manager and Head Coach. Jude needs no introduction; he is a football veteran, an ex-international and an Olympiad. In his heydays, he captained Rangers International of Enugu and Udoji United for a cumulative period of over a decade. Since retirement from active football, over the last 20 years, he has remained one of the best and most successful talent development coaches in Nigeria. Club magazine crew caught up with him to capture his views on the ambitious Champs City football project.
Tell us your general view about the Champs City project and why you decided not just to be a part of it but to lead the football development aspect?
“Champs City project in my view is a project that is well taught out and will go a long way in discovering and nurturing young talented footballers to stardom. Why I decided to be part of the project? I like being in an organized setting and Champs City is one such organization. I am leading because I want to make another great impact, and football has been my life.”
How is this project different from the other projects you have been involved in in the past?
“Champs City is different from other academies I have been with in the past in terms of planning and execution.”
Are you satisfied with the general progress?
“I am satisfied with the progress so far, from the scouting to the screening exercise and now the training proper. We are now one month into training, and the progress is wonderful.”
What can you say about the quality of raw talents you have assembled so far and ready to develop?
“One thing is to discover and assemble, another is to develop. Now we have started training and on the basics. The progress is wonderful, I can assure you that.”
As a follow up question, do you see international stars coming out of this group?
“Before I picked them, I already have seen the star quality in them. It is my duty now to develop them to become those stars.”
What in your journey prepared you for the massive success you have recorded over the last 20 years in talent development?
“As one who played the game actively for close to 18 years, I played under great coaches and through them I leant the act of teaching and coaching but most importantly, with the young ones it has been patience.”
How have you been able to sustain the desire to keep grooming these talents?
“Well, the desire has been sustained by the level of success achieved over the past years. Watching so many players I coached succeed gives me a special kind of joy and fulfillment. Imagine how elated I was watching the World Cup Finals in South Africa in 2010 and seeing Chinedu Obasi score for Nigeria. So, the desire has been to go on grooming more stars.”
The idea of Champs City Football Club first emerged in 2010, envisioned by its founder, Odinaka Iloh. The earliest documented mention of the club can be traced to an email exchange between Odinaka and his brother-in-law, Tony Okwuasha, dated August 10, 2010.
Motivated by the frustrations he witnessed firsthand faced by young, talented footballers in Nigeria—Odinaka conceptualized a football talent hunt initiative, the International Training and Trial Tour (i3T). This initiative was designed as a launchpad for exceptional young footballers, serving both as a feeder system and the foundation for the future Champs City Football Club.
From 2010 to 2012, Odinaka pursued every opportunity within his reach to secure the partnerships necessary to bring the i3T project to life. Despite numerous setbacks, his determination to establish a modern, professionally managed, and youth-focused football club remained unwavering.
Finally, on January 11, 2011, Champs City International Football Club was formally incorporated with Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission. Odinaka co-founded the club alongside Dr. Peter Ekwueme and Bosun Adedokun, who joined as founding directors, marking a significant step forward in his vision of transforming Nigerian football development.
Champs City hosted her first-ever strategy (quasi-board) meeting on 30 August 2012 at Sunfit Hotel, FESTAC, Lagos, to review the Champs City 5-year strategic plan. In attendance were Bode Adeshina, Odinaka Iloh, Tona Madu, Kingsley Maduka, Steve Nwabueze and Bosun Adedoku.
In the early formative years of Champs City, we were most encouraged by the high level of commitment the then Lagos State Government and Lagos State Football Association demonstrated towards football (sports) development in the state.
So, we were convinced then that the moment a truly professional football club springs up in Lagos and it’s able to join the Nigeria Premier League, Nigeria’s football industry will never be the same again. And Champs City aimed to be that club.
Consequently, we decided in 2013 to affiliate Champs City with Lagos State Football Association as a non-league football club while establishing Champs City Academy in Enugu.
On 29 December 2014, we were issued our first annual affiliation letter by the Lagos State Football Association.
The club’s inaugural talent recruitment exercise took place in Enugu on 25 and 26 October 2013 at the Rangers FC training pitch. For many reasons, the exercise was adjudged successful.
One, for the fact that it was Champs City’s first time in Enugu for a hunt for gifted football talents that even required some form of registration fee to record a high turnout of over a hundred and twenty young lads, was in itself a huge acceptance of Champs City FC. However, for the reason of registration conditions, only forty-two (42) players were screened resulting in thirteen (13) players being shortlisted for another round of screening exercises.
The next stop was Lagos. the screening exercise in Lagos took place on the 1 November 2013, at the Union Bank Sports Club, Surulere. Only 23 players showed up for the exercise and six of them were shortlisted for further screening.
| CHAMPS CITY | V | OPPONENT | SCORELINE | VENUE |
| Champs City | V | Purple Crown | 3:0 | UNEC Stadium, Enugu |
| Champs City | V | Inter FC (U18) | 4:3 | UNEC Stadium, Enugu |
| Champs City | V | Asata United | 4:2 | UNEC Stadium, Enugu |
| Champs City | V | Diego FC | 5:1 | UNEC Stadium, Enugu |
| Champs City | V | Purple Crown | 1:1 | UNEC Stadium, Enugu |
| Champs City | V | Disdevt in Afrik | 0:0 | UNEC Stadium, Enugu |
| Champs City | V | Dynamos FC | 2:1 | UNEC Stadium, Enugu |
Champs City ended 2014 unbeaten! In line with our ambition of building a strong football brand, on and off the pitch, within the shortest possible time, Jude Agada, the team manager, kept to the promise he made to us at inception – to put together formidable team within the first one year of his leadership.
Champs City ran an intensive training regime. Interestingly, between February 2014 to December 2014, it played a total of seven friendly matches without losing any. And the team scored a total of 19 goals and conceded 8, averaging 2.7 goals per match. The results are as follows:
Had Champs City obtained the above results in a league set up, it would mean it amassed 17 points out of a maximum of 21, which was a wonderful feat by all standards.
What appears even more remarkable was the fact that within the short period of our existence five players from Champs City (Ekeoma Chukwuebuka, Ebuka Nwodo, Chukwuma Okenwa, Ekene Nnamchi and Chisom Chiaha) participated in Nigeria’s national U17 final screening in 2014 out of which one player, our then first goalkeeper, Chisom Chiaha made it to the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile, a tournament Nigeria eventually won.
After a careful review of our journey from 2010 to 2015 vis-à-vis the inherent opportunities, challenges and progress made, we decided to shut down the operations for a few years before returning. That few years turned out to be 9 years of no operations.
Having learnt important lessons from the previous attempt to run Champs City in the most professional way possible in Nigeria’s football industry, we are well prepared to make the comeback laud and a huge success – it’s a new season. This time around the Club is fully based in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria.
The structure and the operational model of the club are now significantly different.
Structurally, Champs City Sports and Entertainment Ltd now parents Champs City Football Club. In effect, Champs City FC will be the footballing arm of Champs City Sports and Entertainment.
Operationally, our focus in the next 5 years shall be to make Champs City Academy the best and the most functional football academy you can find anywhere in Africa. That journey has already begun.
Without compromising talent recruitment and development, sporting and commercial success, we intend to make local and international community engagement, partnerships, education and aggressive membership drive cardinal to our operation
“We took a decision in 2023 to relaunch Champs City and embark on talent hunts across Nigeria in search of exceptional football talents wherever they may be and whatever background they may come from for our U13 male football academy,” says Odinaka Iloh, President of Champs City. Given the security and prevalent difficult economic conditions in the country, the scouting crew limited their search to the South east region and Delta state.
So, over a period of one year we invested a lot of resources in planning followed by an extensive search for exceptional male football talents. The search took the Club to:
16 Centres in Enugu state
2 Centres in Anambra state
2 Centres in Abia state
1 Centre in Delta state
1 Centre in Imo state
Following the conclusion of the tryouts in 5 states, over 70 shortlisted talents were invited to a 6-day (25-30 August) residential final tryout.
At the end of the exercise, 34 talents were selected, 33 of whom have since resumed their secondary education and football academy training on full scholarship at St. Patrick’s College, Emene, Enugu.
“It was difficult to pick 30 as originally planned, there were talents we couldn’t drop so we had to push the boundary to settle for 34 talents”, says Jude Agada, football manager/head coach. “This set is the youngest set of boys I have assembled. And I am quite impressed with the quality they possess. Within the next few years, we will surely produce top players from this group”, he added.
“Our commitment is to nurture these raw talents into elite athletes. We can’t achieve that by focusing only on football training. So, we are taking their education and character development as important as their football training. If for any reason some of them fail to blossom in football, they would be equipped enough to pursue other interests,” says Odinaka Iloh, President of Champs City.
Champs City have an audacious ambition to redefine the sports landscape in Nigeria, beginning with football, within the next decade. This in itself is a tall order, and we know that it requires us to execute projects in multiple areas including human capital development, infrastructure and community engagements.
“It is our intention to build an organisation that is able to feel the pulse and the heartbeat of society. It is a path we have chosen to stay on from the word go,” says Odinaka Iloh, President, Champs City.
“Understanding that our society has a peculiar challenge of producing athletes who are able to combine education and sport early in life without compromising any; we are committed to making education a cardinal part of our corporate social investment.”
“Education is so essential and central to our project, because, oftentimes, successful athletes become and remain role models in society. We would do a lot of good to our sports in particular and society in general if we are able to equip our athletes better so that they can achieve more for themselves – sport-wise and economically – and eventually become better role models in society,” he added.
My Football My Education is Champs City’s noble initiative to promote and support compulsory education of budding sports talents, training of coaches and the overall improvement of learning environment in our communities. Its slogan, “this way, it gets better” is apt for the objective.
The Club has demonstrated its commitment to education by offering full scholarship to all 33 Junior Champs – Champs City Academy players in one of its partner schools, St. Patrick’s College, Emene, Enugu.
The Club know that it cannot afford to embark on this journey alone; we will require support (moral, technical, financial or human resources, etc.) from everyone – corporate entities and private individuals alike.
Our brand essence – sport with soul (soccer with soul – specific to football), were thoughtfully coined to convey the Club’s commitment to upholding the human ideals of love, dignity, healthy competition, dream, diversity, prestige, spirituality, etc.
Underlining the philosophy is the drive to influence the world positively through sports, on and off field. It’s our desire to give a great number of people around the world a reason to live, something to hope and smile for, something to celebrate, something worthy of working for and a height to aspire to.
It was necessary and pertinent from inception that the Club needs a strong brand essence that will stand the test of time and that embodies meaning and power to guide it during good times and challenging times. This flows from the understanding that Champs City transcends sport, entertainment and passion; it focuses on touching hearts, enriching minds and connecting with the spirit.
Our culture and tradition are strongly rooted in the concepts of community and care, dignity and excellence. In fact, as a Club we see sports as an instrument for achieving social harmony, economic empowerment, cultural reawakening, community development, national and international integration. It is also an opportunity to excel and promote healthy competition.
Invest in developing tomorrow’s global Champs. We have 5 major partnership channels.
Each partnership channel has varying degrees of values on offer for partners. Whereas the headline, lead and official partnership values are listed in a descending order, i3T partnership values are uniquely tailored because it’s considered a special event.
Furthermore, My Football My Education (MFME), our flagship corporate social investment initiative, is purely donation-based. In effect, individuals and corporate organisations are free to donate in cash or kind without expecting anything directly in return. The donations received are channeled into scholarship of Junior Champs, improvement of learning environment in our partner schools and adopted community schools, training/development of coaches and other sports professionals, etc.
If you are interested in donating/partnering with us, and would like to receive additional information on each channel of partnership, kindly contact partner@champscity.ng or call +234 707 757 3540.
My Football My Education is Champs City’s flagship corporate social investment initiative focused on supporting the proper education of athletes, coached and the improvement of learning environments within our communities. Education is so essential and central to Champs City’s project; we recognise that, oftentimes, successful athletes become role models in society and remain so for a long while. It is in our collective best interest to ensure that these athletes are well educated; that way their impact in society becomes better.
We urge you to get involved through us and make a big difference. And together we can create more opportunities for our children, and country. Any donation or support given towards My Football My Education (MFME) will do some or all of the following:
Start donating today!
If you are interested in donating/partnering with us and would like to receive additional information on each channel of partnership, kindly contact partner@champscity.ng or call +234 707 757 3540.
We aren’t Champs without unrelenting supporters and an enthusiastic fanbase. Join us today let’s build an amazing Club together and be the first among your friends to become officially recognised as a Champ. How you choose to become a Champ is entirely up to you. We have 4 categories of members – Diamond Champs, Gold Champs, Young Champs and Fans/Supporters.
Should you require additional information, contact info@champscity.ng or call +234 707 757 3540 for assistance.
Through MY FOOTBALL MY EDUCATION, our social investment initiative, Champs City is providing scholarships, academic support, and development opportunities for Champs City Academy players and more.
Over the next 3 months, a donation of ₦25,000 (USD 20) and above secures one of only 500 limited-edition Champs City fan jerseys — an exclusive first release not yet available to the public. Partner with us to empower the next generation of champions.
Let’s build the future together!
