The race for the ₦20 million 1xCup 2026 title will enter a decisive stage on Friday, September 11, as 24 teams battle for places in the final group stage of Nigeria’s grassroots football tournament.
The Final Group Draw is scheduled to take place at 12 noon at The Providence Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, following the completion of the qualification phase that began with 100 teams.
The 24 teams that emerged from the qualification stage will be drawn into six groups of four teams, setting the stage for a highly competitive group campaign scheduled to run from September 15 to October 8.
The strongest teams from the group stage will advance to the knockout rounds, with the competition building towards the grand finale on October 31 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.
The 2026 edition is the fourth season of 1xCup, a competition designed to provide a platform for grassroots footballers to showcase their abilities while creating a pathway to professional football.
From 100 teams to 24
The journey to the final group draw has already seen 100 teams enter the competition, with only 24 surviving the qualification stage.
The teams will now be divided into six groups of four, with every match carrying greater significance as players and clubs compete for progression to the knockout stage and, ultimately, the championship.
Beyond the competition itself, organisers say the tournament has continued to focus on identifying talented young footballers who may otherwise struggle to gain visibility outside their local communities.
According to tournament management, more than 30 players from previous 1xCup seasons have subsequently moved from grassroots teams to professional clubs in Nigeria, other African countries and lower divisions in Europe.
The organisers see this progression as one of the major indicators of the tournament’s impact since its launch.
₦20m prize awaits winner
The eventual winner of the 2026 competition will receive a ₦20 million prize, adding another major incentive as the remaining teams begin the final stretch of the tournament.
However, organisers say the competition is about more than the financial reward.
The broader objective is to create opportunities for young footballers to attract the attention of scouts, professional clubs and other stakeholders who can help them advance their careers.
With the group stage beginning on September 15, the 24 remaining teams will have less than a month to prove themselves before the knockout phase begins.
Dimeji Adedapo to lead tournament briefing
The General Manager of 1xCup Nigeria, Dimeji Adedapo, is expected to be the principal spokesperson at the event.
Adedapo oversees the overall coordination of the tournament, including organisational processes and communication with participating teams, players, the technical team, contractors and sponsors.
Having been involved in the development of 1xCup across previous seasons, he is expected to provide insights into the tournament format, the development of grassroots football and the competition’s plans for identifying and developing young talent.
He is also expected to speak on the tournament’s broader objective of creating pathways for promising players to progress from grassroots football into the professional game.
Football personalities, officials expected
The draw will also bring together prominent figures from Nigerian football, sports, government and youth development.
Among the invited guests is former Nigerian international Mutiu Adepoju, a 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner and member of Nigeria’s gold medal-winning football team at the 1996 Olympic Games. Adepoju is also a LaLiga Ambassador.
Other invited guests include Nigerian sports veteran Dimeji Lawal and sports analyst and commentator Biola Kazeem, who has been actively involved in grassroots football.
Representatives from the Lagos State Government are also expected at the event, including Jubril Gawat, representative of the Governor’s Office in New Media/Digital Media.
Also listed among the invited guests are Alabi Opeyemi, representing youth affairs, and Folorunsho Michael, representing the Sustainable Development Goals.
The event will also feature Sandra Omoniyi, League Commissioner at Lagos Liga and Founder of Asem Sport Management.
The road to October 31
With the group draw marking the transition from the qualification stage to the main competition, attention will now shift to the battle for places in the knockout rounds.
The group stage will provide the 24 surviving teams with an opportunity to test themselves against some of the strongest sides to emerge from the qualification campaign.
From September 15 to October 8, the teams will compete for progression, with only the strongest advancing towards the final stages.
The tournament will ultimately culminate in the grand final at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos, on October 31, where the 2026 champion will be crowned and take home the ₦20 million prize.
For the organisers, however, the significance of the final will extend beyond the lifting of a trophy.
The tournament’s four-season journey has increasingly positioned 1xCup as a platform for grassroots players seeking an opportunity to move into professional football.
With more than 30 former participants reportedly progressing to professional clubs across Nigeria, Africa and Europe, the organisers believe the tournament is beginning to demonstrate its potential as a talent-development pathway.
As the 24 remaining teams prepare to discover their group opponents on September 11, the next chapter of the 1xCup 2026 story is set to begin.
The road from 100 teams to one champion now enters its most decisive stage.
Dear Vows
