Kunle Adelabu
-Opening match kicks – off Monday between NTAB FC and Ezego FC
Another edition of the Bolowotan Gold Cup is here as 40 teams and football academies within and outside Ikorodu Division are ready to do battle as this year’s tournament promises to be the biggest ever in the history of the competition
The tournament, which will be played at the Police Barracks Playing Ground, along the Ikorodu/Igbogbo Road, Ikorodu, will commence on Monday, February 7, 2022, with a seeded team, NTAB FC hosting Ezego FC in Group A.
Other seven seeded teams are TCCG FC, Ultimate Villa FC, Unizee FC, Edunz FC, Excel FC, FA Victory FC and Macbeth FC.
The draw for the tournament, which was held at the Zenith Peers Club House, Aga, lkorodu, on Friday, February 4, 2022, was well – attended by members of the Ikorodu Divisional Football Association (IDSFA), team managers, coaches, referees and players’ representatives.
The 40 teams are grouped five each into eight groups for this year’s edition.
The annual football tournament, popularly called ‘The Ikorodu World Cup’, is being sponsored by Mr Oluwatoyin Gafaar Bolowotan, the Director – General, Lagos State Sports Commission and organised by the Ikorodu Divisional Football Association (IDFA).
Alhaji Luqman Shonibare, Chairman, Ikorodu Divisional Football Association (IDFA), while appreciating all the teams that participated in the 13th edition of the Bolowotan Gold Cup, said that this year’s edition is very significant because more teams will be participating.
“I want to thank all the teams that participated in the 13th edition of this tournament because of their disciplines.
“This year’s edition will be very significant because more teams will be participating.
“We will be having a 40 team format this year and we are going to keep the records of every match.
“We are not only going to accept fines for cards but also serves necessary punishment through suspensions”, the IDFA Chairman said.
He also said that five substitutes would be allowed during a match.
“We are going to entertain five substitutes per match and teams would be allowed to make the substitutions only three times”, he said.
IDFA General Secretary, Alhaji Babatunde Fajebe, speaking earlier, charged teams to adhere strictly with the rules that they have been provided with because the FA is determined to enforce them.
“There are rules which will be strictly adhered to and I expect everyone to abide by them”, he charged.
“We have all been participating in competitions and I expected you all to have knowledge of the laws of the game”.
While assuring the team managers and other representatives of the participating teams at the draw of good tournament, he also charged that teams to follow the civil process of lodging their complaints.
“I want you to believe that Referees and IDFA officials are not your enemies, but of course, there is no perfect situation anywhere and we will be expecting you to call our attention to any issue in a way and manner stipulated and should not cause any problem”, he pleaded.
“This is a competition where Scouts always come around to see talents and we are very mindful of the image of the sponsors and that of Ikorodu.
“We must be disciplined to encourage the sponsor who is funding the tournament as part of his contributions to sports development”, he added.
Some of the other teams participating in the tournament are Agric Town FC, Greater Tomorrow FC, Shola FC, Trojan FC, Dyanmic FC, Alimi FC, Apapa FC, Greater Warrior FC, Balogun Jaiyesimi FC, Vino Gano Leo FC and Kadesh FC.
F.A Victory Football Club beat NTAB FC 4 – 3 (in penalty shootouts) after both teams played 2 – 2 at the regulation time in the last edition.
