Hon. Olumide Jones has taken a major step toward grassroots sports development with the commencement of his highly anticipated football competition for clubs within Ifo and Ewekoro Local Government Areas.
The official draw for the tournament was held yesterday at Pleasure Event Centre, Ifo, with representatives of participating teams in attendance. A total of 26 football teams registered for the competition and were subsequently drawn into six groups.
Groupings
Group A
Talented FC
Ultimate FC
Obaskibote FC
Adeseg FC
New Generation FC
Group B
Essential FC
Evolution FC
Chosen Generation FC
All Saint FC
Lafarge FC
Group C
Arepo FC
Borax FC
Catalyst FC
Solace FC
Group D
Nucleus FC
Lion Star FC
Victory FC
Kowope FC
Group E
MHS Strikers
Winning Star
Concord FC
Dynamite FC
Group F
Femco FC
A.A United
Santos FC
Mico FC
It was announced that the opening match will take place on January 29, 2026.
Speaking at the event, the sponsor, Hon. Olumide Jones, disclosed that the winner of the competition will receive ₦1 million, while the first runner-up will go home with ₦500,000 and the second runner-up will receive ₦250,000.
He also revealed that several individual awards will be presented, including Best Player, Highest Goal Scorer, and other outstanding performance prizes.
The participating teams were drawn from both Ifo and Ewekoro local government areas and are expected to compete fiercely for the ultimate prize.
The tournament is expected to run for over two months and will be played across several communities within the two local governments, promoting community engagement and local economic activity.
According to Hon. Olumide Jones, the competition is aimed at discovering and nurturing young football talents, keeping youths productively engaged, and promoting sports as a tool for social and economic development.
“This competition is designed to empower our youths, make them more useful to society, and help develop their talents. It will be a yearly event as we continue to invest in youth empowerment through sports development,” he said.
