Grassrunners JNR and Eko United will kick off the maiden African Football Holding (AFH) Pre-Season Tournament on Thursday, October 15, at 9 am at FC Ebedei Stadium in Apele, Sagamu, Trybal News reports.
The 10-day competition, tagged “Good Football, Great Futures,” will run until October 24, bringing together 10 teams from the Nigeria National League (NNL) and Nationwide League One (NLO) to prepare for the new season.
The participating teams are Sunshine Stars, FC Ebedei, Eko United, Dokkal Khairu, Grassrunners JNR, Crown FC, Stormers SC, Ebedei Sports College, Grassrunners FC and Ikorodu City FA.
The opening day will conclude with a Group A encounter between hosts FC Ebedei and Sunshine Stars, scheduled for 2 pm, five hours after the tournament’s opening fixture.
Speaking ahead of the competition, Tunde Shamsudeen, head of the AFH Pre-Season Tournament Organising Committee, said preparations had been completed after more than a month of planning.
The unique thing about the tourney is that all teams will get 360 minutes of football in total in the group phase to put their players through their paces and instil the tactical blueprint they want for their teams before qualification to the final phase. This makes the tourney highly competitive,” Shamsudeen said.
He added that the competition would offer players an opportunity to attract international attention, with top European scouts expected to be present to identify standout talents for potential moves abroad.
The tournament also comes with a significant financial incentive, as the champions will receive ₦2 million, while the runners-up will earn ₦1 million. The winners will also lift an Italian giant gold trophy, with medals awarded to both finalists.
Under the format approved by the Main Organising Committee (MOC), the 10 teams will compete in two groups, with each side scheduled to play four matches in the group phase.
At the conclusion of the group stage, the team with the highest number of points in each group will advance to the final, where the two group winners will battle for the inaugural title.
The grand finale is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, at FC Ebedei Stadium, bringing the curtain down on a tournament designed to provide competitive preparation, showcase emerging talent and strengthen football development pathways ahead of the new season.
