By Lucky Isibor
Twenty – four football teams in the men category and six in the female category are vying for honours in the 2025 edition of Edo State Football Association (FA Cup) football tournament.
Chairman of Edo FA, Fred Newton Erhunmwunse made the disclosure during the draw for the competition held on Wednesday, 29 January at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
The Federation cup is organised by the Edo State Football Association and sponsored by Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Limited.
Results of the draws reveal that two Christian faith based teams, Living Voice Football Academy will battle Assemblies of God FC in the first round of the competition.
The Benin Warriors FC which drew bye in the second round will lock horns with the winner between the two Christian faith based football clubs.
The defending champions, Bendel Insurance FC having drawn bye will meet the winner between Restoration FC and Dynamo Sports FC in the second round.
The 2023 runners – up, Ine Stars FC will resume its quest for the trophy in the second round and slug it out with the winner between Olowolo FC and Sports Family FC.
In the women category featuring six clubs, defending champions, Edo Queens FC will face winner between Benin Red Soil Queens FC and Tiki Taka FC in the semifinal encounter.
Also, last year runner-up, Fortress Ladies FC will play semifinal with the winner between Brace Heart Ladies FC and Bravos FC.
The Edo FA chairman also disclosed that winners in the men’s category will receive a cash sum of one million naira while the first and second runners – up will go home with N750,000 and N500,000 respectively.
Also, the winners in the women category will go home with a sum of N750,000 while the runner-up and third place winner will receive N500,000 and N250,000.
In his remarks representative of Peculiar Ultimate Concern Ltd who is the head of administration in Edo State, Deacon Olakunle Bello assured of the company’s readiness to give their full support to Edo FA cup competition this year to uplift the game of football in the state.
Meanwhile, Freedom Beverages Limited, producers of the Olivia water which is the official water of the competition, were on ground at the draw ceremony.
Head of Sales and Marketing of the company, Deacon Kelvin Ibomor assured that Olivia water is ever ready to partnering Edo FA to improve the game of football in the state, adding that the product will be available from the start to the end of the 2025 Edo FA cup competition, in addition to providing branded jerseys to the Local Organising Committee LOC members and the ball boys.
The 2025 Edo FA cup competition sponsored by Peculiar ultimate concern Ltd, will run from February 5th to 23rd 2025 at two designated centres with the finals slated for the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.