2025 1XCup Organisers Limit Participating Teams to 64 Teams out of 468 Entries

Out of the 468 teams that entered for this year’s 1XCUP Grassroots Football  Tournament sponsored by 1XBET, only 64 teams have been picked for the preliminary round slated to begin on July 8, 2025 in Lagos.

According to a statement issued by the Organisers , the four semi finalists from the last edition will join the 16 teams that qualify from the preliminaries for the Group stage.

Former Super Eagles player and Head of the Organising Committee of the 1XCup, Engr Waidi Akanni, said yesterday that it was really painful for the committee to come to this decision due to the deluge of entries received for this year’s tournament.

In a message sent to club owners and representatives, the 1XCup organising committee head expressed gratitude to the grassroots clubs for their interest in the yearly tournament.

“I wanted to personally reach out to you and express my sincere gratitude for registering your club for our community football championships.- 1XCup   2025. We were overwhelmed with the response, which is a testament to the passion and dedication of clubs like yours that make our tournament thrive.

“Regrettably, due to the unprecedented number of registrations, we had to make the difficult decision to select a limited number of 64 clubs for the main championship. Please know that this decision was not made lightly, and we understand the disappointment it may have cause,” observed Akanni.

He however assured  the clubs that the organisers were exploring alternative opportunities, such as a parallel tournament or friendly matches, to ensure that “your teams still have a platform to showcase your skills and compete. We will keep you updated on any developments.”

The 2025 edition of the tournament’s preliminary round matches will kick off on July 8 at the Inspire Sports Arena in Oshodi. The final match will take place on October 16, 2025 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.