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Twenty-four grassroots football teams will on Friday discover their group-stage opponents as the 2026 edition of the competition enters its next phase in Lagos.
The draw, scheduled for noon at The Providence Hotel, Ikeja GRA, will determine the six groups for the 24 teams that emerged from an initial field of 100 sides.
The teams will be divided into six groups of four, with group-stage matches scheduled to take place from September 15 to October 8.
The competition will culminate in a final at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos, on October 31, with the winners set to receive a ₦20 million prize.
Former Super Eagles players Mutiu Adepoju and Dimeji Lawal are among the football personalities expected at the draw.
Adepoju was part of Nigeria’s squad that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and the gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Sports analyst and commentator Biola Kazeem is also expected at the event, alongside representatives of the Lagos State Government and other stakeholders.
The General Manager of the tournament, Dimeji Adedapo, is expected to provide details on the group-stage format and the next phase of the competition.
According to the organisers, more than 30 players who featured in previous editions have gone on to join professional clubs in Nigeria, other African countries and lower divisions in Europe.
The 24 surviving teams will now compete for places in the knockout rounds, with the group-stage results determining those that progress.
The tournament will end on October 31, when the two finalists meet at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena for the ₦20 million top prize.
