Nigerian football legends return as coach at Bet9ja Foundation Ex International Cup

The NIS Hall in Lagos vibrated with nostalgia and anticipation on Friday as the Bet9ja Foundation Ex International Cup held its official draw.

Former Super Eagles stars, community leaders and grassroots football stakeholders gathered under one roof, eager to see how the competition would unfold. For many in the room, it was like a reunion of old teammates and rivals, now returning to football in a new role: mentors and community ambassadors. The draw marked the start of a tournament designed not only to entertain, but also to reconnect the legends of Nigerian football with the places that first formed them.

This year’s competition will be played strictly home and away, a deliberate choice to bring the matches to the communities of former internationals.

The distinctive feature of the Ex Internationals Cup is the adoption system. Each former international has adopted a team from their community and will serve as a sponsor and mentor.

When the drawing began, the room was filled with applause and cheers as the pairings were revealed. FC Ekpo will face FC Ipaye, FC Amoo will face FC Ogunlade and FC Agali will face FC Oloyede. Further down the list, FC Ayila take on FC Agu, FC Poto take on FC Odiaka and FC Giwa take on FC Temile. Each match has a personal story, linking the name of a former international with a community club and creating derbies with real emotional weight. For fans, it’s a chance to see names they grew up idolizing now shaping the next generation.

Some of the more eye-catching ties include FC Akanni vs FC Dominic, FC Babington vs FC Dosu and FC Disu vs FC Enegwea. These matchups bring together players who once shared a locker room with Nigeria, now facing each other from opposing dugouts in their adopted communities. FC Odinni vs FC Ikpeba and FC Edema vs FC Nieketin promise similar intrigue, pitting former teammates against each other in a battle for local bragging rights. The format guarantees that each community has a home match, turning each match into a mini-festival of football and culture.

Other pairings underscore the national dimension of the tournament. FC Udeze against FC Ugbade, FC Atine against FC Obafemi and FC Oguntuase against FC Omoruyi will see action in different regions, while FC Aiyegbeni against FC Elaho and FC Okpara against FC Agbai complete the line-up. Organizing matches in former international communities also means greater visibility for local youth camps, schools and academies that rarely receive national attention.

After the draw, the organizers explained that the tournament is about more than just football. It is a development platform aimed at rebuilding grassroots structures, reviving local fan culture and creating avenues for young players to be explored. By bringing the games home, the Bet9ja Foundation hopes to stimulate local economies, foster community pride and give young players a stage to perform in front of the people they care about. The former internationals themselves have taken on the responsibility and many describe it as a moment of coming full circle in their careers.

As the first round approaches, enthusiasm increases in the communities linked to these matches. The Bet9ja Foundation Ex International Cup is set to turn familiar local fields into stages for high-stakes football, mentoring and community celebration.

The complete calendar:

FC Ekpo vs FC Ipaye
FC Amoo vs FC Ogunlade
FC Agali vs FC Oloyede
FC Ayila vs FC Agu
FC Poto Vs FC Odiaka
FC Giwa vs FC Temile
FC Akanni vs FC Dominic
FC Babington vs FC Dosu
FC Disu Vs FC Enegwea
FC Odinni vs FC Ikpeba
FC Edema vs FC Nieketin
FC Udeze vs FC Ugbade
FC Atine vs FC Obafemi
FC Oguntuase vs FC Omoruyi
FC Aiyegbeni vs FC Elaho
FC Okpara vs FC Agbai