Sports
N-Youth League Cup: Ikorodu City U19 to Face Holders Kwara United U19 in Opener as President Pledges Greater Visibility for Players and League
By Joel Ajayi
The second edition of the National Youth League Cup (NYLC) South West Zone is set to kick off with a blockbuster opening fixture as Ikorodu City U19 face defending champions Kwara United Academy U19 in Matchday 1.
Other Week 1 games will see Emuren FC battle Bucknor FC, Grassrunners FC lock horns with Spartan FC, and Imperial FC take on Sunshine Stars of Akure, among several exciting pairings.
With strong teams, rich football traditions, and ambitious young talents, the 2025/26 NYLC South West Zone promises to deliver a thrilling and competitive season.
The draw, held on Wednesday at the Media Centre of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, set the stage for the eagerly awaited encounters. Ikorodu City U19, known for their pace and youthful energy, will be keen to make a bold statement against the champions, while Kwara United Academy aim to begin their title defence in style.
The opening game is scheduled for Tuesday, September 30, 2025, under a straight league format featuring 15 clubs from the South West Zone, with fixtures running across 30 matchdays.
Speaking after the draw, NYLC President, Robinson Adakosa, reiterated the organisers’ commitment to ensuring greater visibility for both clubs and players, while also providing a strong platform to nurture future stars of Nigerian football.
He recalled that last season saw 22 teams compete across two conferences, producing a keenly contested campaign that eventually crowned a champion. Building on that success, organisers have adopted a conference-by-conference approach for the 2025/26 edition, starting with the South West.
“This season, 21 teams initially registered, but only 15 met the required criteria and were shortlisted. As with the maiden edition, all clubs will undergo a player physical evaluation exercise designed to ensure quality participation and spotlight top young talents. We strongly believe this season will unearth even more exciting players while making the league highly competitive,” Adakosa said.
While conducting the draw, Dr. Ayo Abdurahman explained that proximity was a key consideration, as organisers did not want clubs to travel long distances.
He added that draws for other regions would be held as soon as they confirm their readiness, noting that the South West clubs were the first to do so.
He further clarified that registration was free, with clubs only required to pay referee indemnities.
South West Zone Clubs (2025/26) South West Zone Clubs (2025) The 15 participating clubs in the South West Zone are: Ikorodu City U19, Kwara United Academy U19, Vindo FC, Just John FC, Spartan FC, Grass runners FC, Eagle Stars FC, AMG Sports Academy, Bucknor FC, Emuren FC, R2Finesse Football Academy, Imperial FC, Sunshine Stars FC and Kwara football Academy.
With the lineup now confirmed, all eyes will be on Matchday 1 as the journey to crown the 2025/26 South West champions begins
Sports
Montage Community Football Tourney Registration Ends October 30
Cyril Ogar
Registration for the 2026 edition of the Montage Community Football Tournament will close on Friday, October 30, organisers have announced.
The tournament coordinator, Mr Raphael Ekpang, disclosed this on Thursday, urging interested teams across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to take advantage of the remaining days to register.
Ekpang said registration had been ongoing since Monday, encouraging eligible teams to complete the process before the deadline.
The tournament, themed “Montage FM 99.7: Empowering Youth, Uniting Communities Through Football,” is scheduled to kick off on November 3, 2026, with playoffs across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
The grand finale will hold on December 5, 2026, at the Old Parade Ground, Garki Area 10, Abuja, where the top four teams will compete for first-, second- and third-place honours.
A total of 48 teams will participate in the competition, with eight teams representing each of the six Area Councils.
The participating teams will compete for cash prizes worth over ₦2 million and other valuable rewards.
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