8th September 2025
CitySports Africa hosted the maiden edition of The Coaches Code Seminar on Friday in Ikeja, Lagos, bringing together coaches, academy owners and sports leaders from across Africa.
The seminar, themed ‘Redefining Success: Building Coaches Who Build Lives,’ focused on creating a culture of integrity and long-term player development over short-term wins.
CEO of CitySports Africa, Shola Opaleye, said the initiative aims to shift the narrative in African sports.
“The Coaches’ Code is about shifting the narrative. For too long, short-term wins have taken priority over athlete development,” Opaleye said.
True success is not just about winning tournaments but about building athletes with the character, discipline, and skills to compete on the world stage.”
The seminar featured discussions on coaching with integrity and eliminating the win-at-all-costs mentality, with coaches voicing challenges including limited visibility for grassroots players and the absence of structured systems for long-term talent growth.
An elite sports pathways session introduced coaches to international opportunities, including trials and scouting programmes through CitySports Africa’s Global Sports Program in Salou, Spain.
PR Manager Emmanuella Igomu described the platform as long overdue, saying, “Coaches deserve to be heard, their challenges documented, and their contributions recognised.
“With The Coaches Code, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, more ethical, and more sustainable future for Nigerian sports.”
The series, which has a goal of certifying 100 coaches annually, will continue as a collective platform to give coaches a voice and promote collaboration across Africa’s sporting ecosystem.
Opaleye added that the goal to impact millions of youths in Africa will be aided by the coaches’ seminar, which will see these coaches go ahead and then positively influence their talents across disciplines.
CitySports Africa welcomed collaborations with academies across different sports and invited coaches to present their top talents for upcoming international tryouts.
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