By David Osunwa
The Student Union has officially unveiled plans for the eagerly anticipated Inter-Hall Freshers’ Cup, following a press briefing held at the SRC Chamber of the Student Union Building.
The session was led by the Chairman of the tournament committee, Francis Diaz, and his Vice-chair, Laura Onyetube. During the briefing, the organizers laid out critical details regarding the format, groupings, fixtures, and regulations of the tournament, which is set to run for over a week at the Old SUB Pitch.
This year’s edition will feature both male and female categories. Male teams will consist of eighteen players and a coach, while female teams will comprise ten players and a coach. The male category will adopt a group-stage format, split into two groups of three after which the top two teams in each group will progress to the semi-finals.
In contrast, the female category will be played in a round-robin league format, with the top two teams proceeding directly to the final. A significant change this year is the relocation of female matches to the SUB Pitch, which will be specially demarcated, due to construction works at the Cricket pitch.
The Chairman emphasized that any casualties sustained during play will be the responsibility of each hall of residence. He also stressed on the availability of health ministers on each match day throughout the tournament to ensure rapid response. Match durations have been set at 25 minutes per half for male group-stage games and 30 minutes for knockout rounds. Female matches will run for 15 minutes per half across all stages.
To preserve the focus on freshers, the tournament rules restrict participation to first-year students only, excluding Direct Entry students. Additionally, a red card during the group stages will earn a one-match suspension, though this sanction doesn’t carry into the knockout phase. In cases of a tie in the male category, qualification will be determined by points, followed by goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head records.
Groupings and fixtures for the tournament have also been announced, setting the stage for a vibrant display of talent and hall rivalry in this year’s competition.
Below are the groupings and fixtures for the football competition.
Group A
Sultan Bello Hall
Kenneth Mellanby Hall
Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall
Group B
Tedder Hall
Ransome Kuti Hall
Independence Hall
Fixtures – Male Category
Kenneth Mellanby Hall vs Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall
Independence Hall vs Ransome-Kuti Hall
Sultan Bello Hall vs Kenneth Mellanby Hall
Lord Tedder Hall vs Ransome-Kuti Hall
Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall vs Sultan Bello Hall
Lord Tedder Hall vs Independence Hall
Fixtures – Female Category
Queen Elizabeth II Hall vs Obafemi Awolowo Hall
Queen Idia Hall vs Obafemi Awolowo Hall
Queen Elizabeth II Hall vs Queen Idia Hall
The tournament will kick off with a match between Kenneth Mellanby Hall and Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall at 4pm on Tuesday.
