The 13th edition of the Gold Cup Preseason Tournament is set to kick off from October 16th to 25th, 2025, at the state-of-the-art FC Ebedei Stadium in Apele-Sagamu, promising an exciting event for football fans.
This season is particularly noteworthy as it marks a transition for the tournament, with the absence of some familiar club powerhouses, including the defending champions, Shooting Stars of Ibadan, due to the earlier start of the Nigeria Professional Football League calendar.
In a bid to enhance participation and increase the competitiveness of the tournament, top-class teams from the Nigeria National League (NNL) and the same in the Nationwide League One (NLO) will be making their appearances this year.
This decision reflects the organisers’ commitment to broadening the scope of players and clubs involved in the competition.
Gold Cup General Coordinator, Tunde Shamsudeen, shared important updates on this year’s tournament while conversing with the Gold Cup Media Channel.
He noted, “The tournament was originally scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 25, 2025, but it has now been adjusted to take place from Thursday, October 16, to Saturday, October 25, 2025. This change was made in response to the Nigeria National League board’s decision to commence the 2025-26 league season on Saturday, November 8, 2025.”
However, fans can look forward to watching all matches from the Gold Cup live across its digital platforms, along with highlight packages available on the tournament’s YouTube channel.
They can get goal and result notifications on their Android and iOS devices once they download the Sofascore app.
This approach aims to engage a wider audience and elevate the tournament’s profile in Nigeria’s football community.