What began three years ago as a modest experiment with a ₦1 million prize has evolved into a major grassroots football platform, with the 1xCUP 2026 draw setting the stage for another generation of young Nigerian footballers to chase their dreams.
The latest chapter unfolded on Friday at The Providence Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, where 24 teams that survived a qualification process involving 100 grassroots sides were drawn into six groups for the 2026 competition.
But beyond the fixtures, the draw highlighted the growing ambition of a tournament that organisers say is increasingly becoming a pathway between Nigeria’s largely untapped grassroots talent and professional football.
The 1xCUP 2026 group stage will kick off on September 15, with matches running until October 8, before the tournament reaches its climax at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos, on October 31.
The eventual champions will take home ₦10 million from a total prize pool of ₦20 million, while the second- and third-placed teams will receive ₦5 million and ₦3 million respectively.
Yet, for the organisers, the biggest reward may not necessarily be the money.
More Than a Trophy
According to Dimeji Adedapo, General Manager of 1xCUP Nigeria, the tournament was created in 2023 to answer a fundamental question: how could 1xBet give something back to the society in which it operates?
The answer was football.
Adedapo said the organisers had identified numerous young players with talent but without sufficient opportunities to showcase themselves to scouts, clubs and other football stakeholders.
The result was 1xCUP.
“This competition started in 2023 as an experiment by the brand 1xBet, and it is an answer to: what can we give back to the society where we operate?” Adedapo said.
He said the tournament has since produced what organisers consider a significant return on that investment.
“We have over 30 players that have played in the 1xCUP playing in the professional league, either in Nigeria, Africa or Europe. For us, it has been a success,” he said.
That record has given the competition a significance beyond its annual prize money.
For young players who often have to rely on informal football networks to get noticed, the tournament provides competitive matches, visibility and professionally produced content that can potentially put them in front of a wider football audience.
How a ₦1m Experiment Became a ₦20m Competition
The transformation of 1xCUP is perhaps best illustrated by its prize structure.
When the tournament began in 2023, the grand prize was ₦1 million.
Teams travelled across locations including Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry and Oshodi during the inaugural edition, with Shomolu Bariga FC emerging as the first champions.
But the response to the competition convinced the organisers to significantly increase its scale.
“In 2024, after we saw the reception of the competition by the teams and what these young talents can do, we upped the grand prize from ₦1 million to ₦20 million,” Adedapo explained.
The prize pool has remained one of the major attractions, but the tournament has also introduced individual recognition for players and officials.
The awards include Most Valuable Player, highest goal scorer, best goalkeeper and best coach, while the competition also recognises the most well-behaved team.
For organisers, the idea is to reward not only football ability but also discipline and sportsmanship.
100 Teams, 24 Survivors
The scale of the 2026 edition further demonstrates how far the competition has come.
One hundred grassroots teams entered the qualification stage, but only 24 survived to the group phase.
The successful teams were divided into six groups of four.
Group A: Vido SC, Emiloju FC, JP Young Stars FC, BYT Academicals FC.
Group B: NewHope Naija FC, Divine Praise FC, Kiraa FA, Crusaders FC.
Group C: Ajuwa FC, Tonic FC, Joy Cometh FC, Mega 22 FC.
Group D: 36 Lions, Ighalo Football Academy, Maryland United FC, Crystal FC.
Group E: Inspire Sports Academy, Young Strikers FC, Dynamic FC, AMA Smile FC.
Group F: Collins Edwin Sports Club, ECAs FC, Elite Stars FC, AUX FC.
The top two teams in each group will automatically progress to the next round.
They will be joined by the four best third-placed teams to produce the 16 sides that will contest the knockout stage.
Building a Digital Shop Window for Young Players
Adedapo said another area in which the organisers have deliberately invested is video production.
He explained that one of the biggest problems facing grassroots players is the absence of quality footage that can be presented to scouts or professional clubs.
The organisers have therefore expanded their video production around the tournament, including individual clips of outstanding players.
“We know that many of these young talents and grassroots football teams, when there’s an opportunity to sell their players, don’t have what to show to scouts,” Adedapo said.
“But when you go to the 1xCUP Nigeria Bet YouTube platform, you can pick a lot of clips. We even do individual clips for fantastic players.”
That digital archive could become an important part of the tournament’s legacy, particularly in an era when scouting increasingly relies on video and digital platforms.
The Challenge Behind the Glamour
Despite the progress, Adedapo acknowledged that running a grassroots tournament of this size comes with significant challenges.
He said preparations for each edition typically take several months, while the 2026 qualification stage alone ran from July 23 to September 4.
During that period, 100 teams played within a 20-day window, creating substantial logistical demands involving venues, officials, vendors, transportation and video production.
However, Adedapo said one recurring challenge has come from the participating teams themselves.
He expressed concern over instances of teams arriving late for matches or failing to present enough players despite receiving their schedules ahead of time.
He recalled situations in previous editions where teams forfeited matches, resulting in technical walkovers after substantial resources had already been committed.
“It is not encouraging. Teams should realise that the only thing they can give back to us in the competition is their cooperation,” he said.
Adedapo stressed that participation comes at no cost to the teams.
“It is a 100 per cent free competition. We are not taking registration fees from anyone,” he said.
He therefore appealed to the 24 teams that qualified for this year’s group stage to respect match schedules, observe the rules and make the most of the opportunity.
A New Generation Takes the Stage
The draw ceremony brought together personalities from the football, sports, government and youth-development sectors.
Among them was Nigerian football legend Mutiu Adepoju, a 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner, 1996 Olympic gold medallist and LaLiga Ambassador.
Others included sports veteran Dimeji Lawal, sports analyst and grassroots football advocate Biola Kazeem, Jubril Gawat, representing the Lagos State Governor’s Office in New Media/Digital Media, Alabi Opeyemi, representing youth affairs, Folorunsho Michael, representing the Sustainable Development Goals, and Sandra Omoniyi, League Commissioner at Lagos Liga and Founder of Asem Sport Management.
Geraldine Ibeanusi, Managing Director of 1xBet Nigeria, congratulated the 24 teams that emerged from the qualification stage and urged them to approach the next phase with determination, discipline and respect for their opponents.
For the organisers, however, the real measure of the competition may ultimately be what happens to the players after the final whistle.
Three years after its experimental beginning, 1xCUP is now entering another season with 24 teams, a ₦20 million prize pool and a growing list of players who have moved into professional football.
And as the first whistle approaches on September 15, another group of young footballers will have the opportunity to turn grassroots promise into a professional future.
