The 4th edition of the highly anticipated Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season Football Tournament is set to commence tomorrow (Friday) in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State. The tournament, organized in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Government and the Nasarawa State Football Association, has revealed the groupings and the first-phase fixtures for this year’s competition.
Sixteen teams have been divided into four groups, with each group comprising four teams.
Group A features Nasarawa United, joined by Premier League side Wikki Tourists of Bauchi, Ben FC of Jos, and Si14 FC of Keffi. In Group B, defending champions Lobi Stars of Makurdi will face Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna, Khalifat FC of Sokoto, and City Rollers FC from the Nasarawa Local Government Area.
Group C sees Plateau United of Jos square off against fellow Premier League side Kano Pillars, Cynosure FC from Ebonyi State, and Discovery FC of Abuja. Group D includes Katsina United FC, Lafia-based Basira FC, Mighty Jets International FC of Jos, and Kano’s Kano Selected FC.
The opening match of the tournament will take place tomorrow (Friday) at the Lafia City Stadium at 3:00 PM, with Nasarawa United taking on Si14 FC in a highly anticipated Group A curtain-raiser.
On Saturday, 2nd August, the action continues as Plateau United battles Cynosure FC in Group C at 2:00 PM, followed by a clash between City Rollers and Niger Tornadoes in Group B at 4:00 PM.
Sunday, 3rd August will see three fixtures:
- Wikki Tourists, last season’s runners-up, face Ben FC at 10:00 AM in Group A.
- Defending champions Lobi Stars begin their title defense against Khalifat FC of Sokoto at 2:00 PM in Group B.
- Katsina United meets Mighty Jets at 4:00 PM in Group D.
The tournament will resume on Monday, 4th August, with Basira FC, the home favorites, taking on Kano Selected FC at 2:00 PM in Group D. The day’s final match will see Ahmed Musa-led Kano Pillars face Discovery FC at 4:00 PM in Group C.
All matches will be played in a round-robin format, starting from the preliminary phase and advancing to the knockout stages.
All games will take place at the Lafia City Stadium.
Media Unit,
Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season Cup Football Tournament
31st July, 2025.
