The maiden edition of Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Ex-Internationals Cup, organized by Lagos State Football Association, has continued to evoke fond and exciting memories of the playing days of the ex-Nigeria international players participating in this tournament as coach-mentor to their adopted teams.
It has been a thoroughly exciting, tough and rough journey so far, as teams had to play some games on sandy, bumpy and uneven grounds in the different communities playgrounds across the state, as they moved towards the promised land, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The matches in the rounds of 32 and rounds of 16, threw up interesting encounters, just as we recall how former Super Eagles and West Bromwich Albion defender Ifeanyi Udeze, squared up against the legendary former Nigeria left winger Friday Elahor in the rounds of 32. And dubbed as a match between defender against attacker, it was Udeze's team that came out tops.
Another cracker was between the teams adopted by Olympic medallist Joseph Dosu and former Super Eagles striker Victor Agali. It was a very tough encounter, that saw Agali's boys rallying back from a 2-3 first leg home loss to win the return leg away 2-0 against a Joseph Dosu's side that paraded experienced players like former Golden Eaglets stars, Haruna Lukman and Ramon Azeez.
In another rounds of 16 encounter between two former Stationery Stores stars, Mba Agbai defeated his former captain Taiwo Oloyede 3-0 on aggregate to qualify for quarter-finals.
The rounds of 16 clash between two legendary Nigeria ex-International players, Henry Nwosu and Fatai Amoo, could be described as one of the toughest and most competitive encounters of the tournament, so far.
And it wasn't for nothing, as two Benin Republic international players who featured against Super Eagles in the recently played 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Samson Akinyoola and Yusuf Olaitan featured for Henry Nwosu's team.
It was a match that saw Fatai Amoo's boys coming back from two goals down to draw level and take the match into penalty kicks, and with Nwosu, eventually winning 9-8.
Coach Nduka Ugbade tactical prowess came to the fore in his encounter with Michael Dominic's boys in a rounds of 16 clash. At the end of the two-legged affair, FC Ugbade went through to the quarter-finals via 1-0 aggregate.
Meanwhile, some teams have qualified for the quarter-finals and they include, FC Agbai, FC Agali, FC Ekpo, FC Ugbade and FC Nwosu. While we await the winners of FC Ikpeba/ FC Ipaye, FC Okpara/ FC Udeze and FC Ayila/FC Obafemi, to complete the list of the quater-finalists.
Matches in the quarter-finals would be played at Mobolaji Johnson Arena and Legacy Pitch, Surulere, on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
By Olaleye Oluwadamilola