TCC unveils bigger vision for seventh season

Nigeria’s fastest-growing grassroots football league, The Creative Championship, has set its sights on a bigger seventh season as it deepens its focus on data-driven player development, scouting visibility and stronger pathways to professional football.

Established in November 2020, TCC has completed six uninterrupted seasons and produced more than 100 players who have gone on to feature for clubs across Africa, Asia, North America and Europe.

With its seventh season, TCC is looking to strengthen its position as a bridge between grassroots football and the professional game by combining competitive opportunities with measurable player development and greater visibility for emerging talent.

Speaking at a media parley ahead of the new season, TCC Chief Operating Officer Chike Nwoye said the league’s ambitions extend beyond results on the pitch.

“Doing business in Nigeria is tough. Doing sports business in Nigeria is probably tougher, so having successive uninterrupted seasons is proof that we are actually doing something very great,” Nwoye said.

“Going into this season, we are taking it a step further because we just signed a deal with Titan GPS. For us, this was created not just to be part of the football ecosystem but to make it better.”

The new season began on Saturday with the TCC Super Cup between last season’s league champions Beyond Limits and TCC Cup winners Atlantic Business FC.

Bolaji Abdul-Rahman’s 79th-minute goal proved decisive as Atlantic Business secured their first-ever Super Cup title.

Beyond Limits have dominated the competition since its inception, winning five of the first six league titles, while Real Sapphire claimed the other.

Beyond Limits have also won two TCC Cup titles, in 2024 and 2025, with Gbagada FC, Dino FC, Valiant FC and Atlantic Business winning the competition in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2026 respectively.

TCC is also expanding in the 2026/27 season with D’Shack and Gaiters being assessed through the TCC Cup after impressing during the selection process.

TCC’s records also highlight the league’s contribution to Nigeria’s youth national teams.

Musa Akinfenwa, Ebenezer Harcourt, Bidemi Amole and Kparobo Arierhi are among players identified as representatives who won the WAFU B U-20 Championship with Nigeria.

Ahmed Akinyele, Jude Sunday and Solomon Agbalaka have also featured at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA U-20 World Cup.

At U-17 level, seven TCC players are recorded as having represented Nigeria: Israel Nwachukwu Usulor, Musa Akinfenwa, Muiz Oladimeji, Oreoluwa Agbenla, Daniel Arierhi, Edward Ochigbo and Great Edafe.

The senior pathway is represented by Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, who TCC lists among its former players to have been part of Nigeria’s Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.