By Akeem Busari

Football club owners, stakeholders and enthusiasts, were left in awe and unbridled excitement as they witnessed a glitzy and glamorous draws for the group stage matches in the ongoing 1XBET Community Cup, with a mouth-watering N20 million grand prize at stake.

The ceremony held Wednesday, at the prestigious Radison Blu Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, can only be compared to the UCL and Copa tournament draw events in terms of creme de la creme in the football community, as well as, the alluring ambience and beautiful aesthetics of the venue.

Expectedly, the event was witnessed by a galaxy of retired soccer stars that included Wasiu Ipaye, Adeniji Shobande, Friday Ekpo, Victor Agali, Emmanuel Davies, Friday Elahor, Loveday Omoruyi, Taiwo Enegwae, Godwin Okpara, Festus Odini, Michael Dominic, Benson Edema, as well as, top media personalities.

Over 160 teams registered for this year’s championship, while 40 of the teams, were carefully selected to participate in the preliminary knockout rounds that eventually produced 10 teams that joined the seeded 10 in the group stage.

The main draws of the group stage of the championship was anchored by Ex-Nigeria international player Waidi Akanni, who is the Technical Director of the championship and ably assisted by retired national team players Friday Ekpo and Victor Agali.

Looking sharp and resplendent in his well-chosen blue suit, Akanni, who is also the CEO of Match International Limited, the consultants to the championship, was effusive in praises for 1XBET, the sponsors of the biggest grassroots football championship in Nigeria.

 

The open draws had the 20 teams divided into four groups of five teams each. According to Akanni, the winners of each group qualifies automatically to the quarter-finals, while second and third placed teams in each of the four groups would go into playoffs to produce the other four qualifiers for the quater-finals. 

In group A are FC Bethel, G-12 FA, Gunners Link FC, 11 FA and Wasola FC. 

 Group B has the defending champions, Somolu Bariga FC, Collins Edwin FC, Team360 FC, Dosu FA and Ilupeju Pillars from Ekiti State.

Group C consists of last year's finalist Ighalo FC, aa well as, semi-finalist Young Strikers. Others are Emiloju FC, Emajus FC and Ikorodu Eagles FA.  While Group D is made up of 36 Lion FA, Dominion Hotspur FC, Diadem Stallion FC, Royalty FC and China Sunstars FC.
The much-anticipated group matches are billed to begin August 5, at the Legacy pitch of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.