Kick-off opportunity (7)
I believe the answer is:
opening
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'kick-off' is the first definition.
(thesaurus)
'opportunity' is the second definition.
(opening is a kind of opportunity)
(Other definitions for opening that I've seen before include "Hole; beginning" , "Yawning" , "- - time (pub)" , "Beginning, available job" , "premiere" .)