The organisers of the 4th edition of the Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season Cup Football Tournament, in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Government and Nasarawa State Football Association, have released groupings and first phase fixtures for the competition.
The tournament, which is slated to hold on Friday in Lafia, the State Capital, features sixteen teams which are split into four groups, each group comprising four teams.
In Group A, Nasarawa United are joined by fellow Premier League side, Wikki Tourists of Bauchi, alongside Ben FC of Jos and Si14 FC of Keffi.
Group B has the tournament’s defending champions, Lobi Stars of Makurdi, together with Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna, Khalifat FC of Sokoto and City Rollers FC of Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
In Group C, Plateau United of Jos will battle fellow Premier league rivals, Kano Pillars of Kano, Cynosure FC of Ebonyi State and Discovery FC of Abuja, while Group D has Katsina United FC of Katsina, Lafia-based Basira FC, Mighty Jets International FC of Jos, and Kano-based Kano Selected FC.
Nasarawa United and Si14 FC of Keffi will get the competition under way as both sides lock horns in the curtain raiser tomorrow(Friday) in Group A at the Lafia City Stadium by 3pm.
On Saturday, 2nd August, Plateau United and Cynosure FC will trade tackles in Group C by 2pm before City Rollers will test the might of Niger Tornadoes in Group B by 4pm of same day.
There will be three games slated for Sunday, 3rd August, 2025.
Last edition’s runners-up team, Wikki Tourists, will square up against Ben FC by 10 o’clock in the morning in Group A, as defending champions, Lobi Stars, begin their title defence with a clash against Khalifat FC of Sokoto by 2pm in Group B.
Katsina United face Mighty Jets in Group D by 4pm in the day’s last fixture.
Action will resume on Monday, 4th August, 2024, when home favourites, Basira FC, tackle Kano Selected FC by 2pm in Group D, with Ahmed Musa-led Kano Pillars wrapping up activities for the day with a moment with Discovery FC by 4pm in Group C.
Matches are played in round robin format, beginning from preliminary phase to knockout stages. All games will hold at the Lafia City Stadium.