Haruna Ilerika, Secretary of the FCT Football Association, has hailed the ongoing 2025 FCT Nationwide League One (NLO) pre-season tournament success in Abuja.
The competition, which started on February 25, aims to prepare teams for the 2025 NLO football season.
“We have 32 teams in the NLO, and our goal is to ensure they are all prepared for the season.
We invited teams to participate in the pre-season tournament, and 20 teams registered. So far, we have played 30 games, and the competition is progressing well.
Ilerika explained that the teams were divided into groups, with each team playing at least four games.
The 20 teams and Group as follows:Group A: EFCC FC, Daniel FC, TSM FC, Total Dazzlers FC, Atlantic Integral FA.
Group B: Turf Arena FC, NYSC FC, The Kings FC ,Legacy Stars FC , G-Medix FC.
Group C: FWC FC, Woodpeckers FC , RBM Sports, N-Youth Sports FC , Jawab Sports FC.
Group D: Setraco FC, Likeminds FC, Hyperbuzz FC, Galadima FC and Paul E FC
The tournament will conclude with semi-finals on March 10 and the final on March 12, 2025,
The competition’s semi-finals stage will begin on Monday, March 10 with winners of Group A facing the winners of Group B, and the winners of Group C facing the winners of Group D.
While the tournament’s primary focus is on preparation, not competition, Ilerika emphasized the importance of teams taking the games seriously.
He cited the example of Family Worship Center (FWC) FC, which lost their first game but bounced back to win two subsequent matches.
With EFCC FC securing a spot in the semi-finals.
Ilerika acknowledged challenges, including the lack of ambulances at the venue, which is a concern due to the high cost of renting them.
However, he stressed that the association is working to ensure the teams’ safety.
The secretary also addressed issues with team punctuality, citing that only a team violated the rule late arrival twice in games.
Ilerika warned that such behavior would not be tolerated during the actual season.
He also said that there were instances that the Area 10 football pitch was occasionally unavailable forcing a swift reorganization.
This adjustment slowed down the competition, but it was unavoidable given the limited facilities available.
Ilerika concluded by expressing his satisfaction with the tournament’s progress and his confidence that the teams will be well-prepared for the 2025 NLO season, scheduled to kick off on April 11.
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