A CSR Initiative for Grassroots Football
Day Programme
Competing Teams
Total Matches
Zero fees
A long-term CSR initiative for grassroots football.
The BallBusiness Pitch Project was created to close the knowledge gap between grassroots football and the professional game.
Across Africa, many young footballers have talent, discipline, and ambition, but they often lack access to the knowledge, protection, and support that helps players make better decisions. They may not understand their rights, how contracts work, how to identify credible football opportunities, or how to protect themselves from exploitation.
The Pitch Project responds to this gap by giving young athletes access to education, safeguarding, mental wellbeing support, personal branding, football career awareness, and structured competition at no cost to participants.
Our Sponsors
Competition structure tailored for scouting.
5 TEAMS
Format
Round Robin
Final
Top 2 teams qualify
Total Matches
10
5 TEAMS
Format
Full round robin
Final
Top 2 teams qualify
Total Matches
10
MATCH FORMAT
30′ + 10′ HT + 30′
70 minutes per match
SLOT LENGTH
~90 minutes
Incl. 20′ turnaround
PITCH
Single pitch
No matches run simultaneously
ENTRY
Free
For participanting teams
5-DAY PROGRAMME
Education in the morning. Football all afternoon.
Each day combines structured education with football competition. The aim is to ensure that every player leaves the Pitch Project better informed, better protected, and better prepared.
01
DAY 1
Opening Ceremony & Safeguarding
Human trafficking awareness, safeguarding education, opening activities, and competition matches.
02
DAY 2
Personal Branding & Competition
Identity, reputation, digital presence, player image, and matchday competition.
03
DAY 3
Mental Health, Rights & Competition
Mental wellbeing, football pressure, player rights, decision-making, and competition matches.
04
DAY 4
Education Day & Rest
A dedicated day for deeper learning, recovery, and player reflection.
05
DAY 5
Finals
Final matches, awards, recognition, closing reflections, and stakeholder engagement.
LOCATION
Ilaji Sports Resort.
Ibadan, Nigeria.
The inaugural edition of the Pitch Project will take place at Ilaji Sports Resort, Ibadan.
Set inside one of West Africa’s major hospitality and sports complexes, Ilaji provides a contained event environment with a full-size pitch, on-site accommodation, dining, recovery spaces, and event facilities within walking distance.
This allows players, facilitators, scouts, partners, and organisers to experience the Pitch Project in one focused location.
VENUE
Ilaji Hotels & Sports Resort
CITY
Ibadan, Oyo State
COUNTRY
Nigeria NG
COORDINATES
ON SITE
Pitch. Lodging. Dining. Recovery
Five days.
One pitch.
A generation watching.
The Invitational is the proof of concept for everything that follows. It demonstrates that BallBusiness can organise, execute, and deliver a multi day event that is both educationally credible and competitively serious. Every subsequent event in the Pitch Project roadmap borrows its credibility from how well Event 01 is delivered. The quality of the speakers, the organisation on the ground, and the experience of every player who attends will determine how seriously the football community takes everything that follows.