The maiden edition of the Mobil Naija Cup 2026 will kick off in March, offering a platform to discover and develop Nigeria’s next generation of football talent.
The Under-16 tournament, packaged by Inspire Sports Academy with backing from Mobil, carries a prize pool exceeding ₦5,000,000. Nine youth teams will compete for the trophy in what organisers describe as a major grassroots initiative.
Mobil’s support forms part of its corporate social responsibility drive aimed at youth empowerment and talent development.
Head of Inspire Sports Academy and Mobil Naija Cup Coordinator, Francis Ogette, said the tournament is designed to bridge the gap in talent discovery across the country.
“Mobil is organising this tournament as a way of giving back to society and contributing meaningfully to talent discovery. Nigeria is blessed with abundant football talent, and initiatives like this help bridge the gap, as government efforts alone are not sufficient,” Ogette said.
He added that outstanding players will have the opportunity to join Inspire Sports Academy, subject to discussions with their parent clubs.
Ogette also confirmed that the winning team will be supported to participate in the next edition of the Gothia Cup, one of the world’s biggest youth football competitions.
“This is the inaugural edition of the Mobil Naija Cup, and it will be an annual event. By next year, we look forward to hosting the second edition,” he said.
Zonal playoffs will hold across five cities from 2 March to 18 March 2026. The host cities are Lagos, Enugu, Benin City, Akure and Ilorin.
Teams that emerge from the zonal rounds will advance to the National Finals scheduled for 26 to 28 March 2026 at the Inspire Sports Arena, Oshodi, Lagos.
A press conference to outline the tournament structure, sponsorship framework and scouting opportunities will take place on Saturday, 28 February 2026 at Inspire College, Oshodi, Lagos by 12.00 pm.
Interested teams and academies can contact the designated coordinators for registration and further details.
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