The 2016 edition of Lagos FA Cup begins this weekend with preliminary round which will be played by rookie teams.
Matches of the FA Cup which is sponsored by Winners Golden Bet, a Lagos-based sports betting company, will be played all through at the Agege Stadium.
According to the Lagos State Football Association, LSFA, the competition is starting with rookies playoffs to give some of the teams who are playing for the first time in the tournament the chance to show their strength and whoever scale the hurdles will now feature in the first round.
Chairman of the Technical Committee of the FA, Dotun Coker said that a 12-team rookie playoffs which involves clubs playing for the first time, non league clubs and ‘bottom up’ affiliations teams will get underway this weekend.
“The preliminary round will be played by 12 clubs beginning from this weekend. The clubs are Apapa Golden FC, Great Olympic, Trinity House, Abu Football Academy, Royal Sporting FC, FC Robo Warriors, Glorious Day Soccer Academy and Arik FC.
“Four teams will qualify from this stage to join other 36 teams waiting in the first round of 40 teams.
“In the first round, 12 teams have been seeded based on their performance in the 2015 edition and league clubs status. Some of them are Christ Ambassadors, the winners of the last edition, MFM, Ikorodu United, Nath Boys, COD United, Messiah FC, My People FC, Spartan FC and First Bank,” he said.