Year in year out, Coca-Cola affects the lives of many Nigerian children though its grassroots developmental football initiative, Copa Coca-Cola. Call it corporate social responsibility gesture, you would bee absolutely correct.

The idea targeted at teens about the age of 15, has been running for close to a decade touching the ends of the country with meaningful take-away packages for the participating schools.

Without doubts, talents have been discovered, lives have been touched, homes have blessed by such corporate gestures which may not be peculiar to the brand (Coca-Cola) only. We have seen some global brands organize sprint events, Basketball and other games, which is highly commendable, also to mention the media arm (channaels) involved through its football competition tagged ‘Channels kids cup’.

Highly commendable. But we need to see more organizations get involved to save the nation at a time such as this when the national sports festival aimed at discovering talents is not a certainty as confirmed by the Sports ministry owing to “lack of funds.”

Meanwhile, around 5,000 schools participated in this year’s Copa Coca-Cola football competition which saw Progressive Comprehensive Secondary school, Osun emerge winner after beating Owerri City College 1-0 in the final inside Onikan stadium, Lagos. Also, Fosla Academy who were runner up in the last edition lost by a lone goal to Government College Katsina to claim third position.

The theme for this year’s competition, “COPA Coca-Cola Gives You More”, actually captures what the brand has to offer the teens now and in the coming years. Marketing Manager (Colas), Coca-Cola Nigeria, Mr Cletus Onyebuoha in an exclusive interview with PageOne.ng noted that the company was committed to developing the game in the country.

Read more http://pageone.ng/2017/06/24/copa-coca-cola-really-giving/