By Taofeeq Agbeniga and Didymus Joshua
The Elementalz Champions League (ECL) has unveiled details of its upcoming football competition, scheduled to be held from November 14 to 30, 2026, at the Students’ Union Building (SUB) football pitches of the University of Ibadan.
The announcement was made at a press conference and team representatives’ meeting held on Friday, November 6, which commenced at 4:25 p.m. with the University anthem. The event was anchored by Umar Adegoke, National President of the Elemental Research Institute.
Speaking at the conference, Adegoke introduced the organisation, outlining its objectives and the benefits it hopes to provide students through sports. He also spoke about his passion for sports and the motivation behind establishing the competition.
He recounted some of the challenges encountered in bringing the initiative to fruition, particularly difficulties in securing funding and attracting investors. According to him, the organisation’s lack of an established track record, with its projections yet to be backed by previous achievements, had made some potential investors reluctant to support the initiative. He, however, disclosed that he was personally among those investing in the programme.
Recounting a conversation with a friend, Adegoke emphasised the importance of taking action despite infrastructural limitations, quoting his friend as saying, “If we keep procrastinating on not having the basic amenities on the ground, we won’t start anything.”
He also explained the origin of the ECL name and disclosed that the organisation was already establishing committees in other universities across Nigeria ahead of the following year, signalling its ambition to expand beyond the University of Ibadan.
The competition will feature male and female teams. Male matches will be played at the SUB full-field pitch, while female matches will take place at the SUB five-a-side mini pitch.
On the tournament schedule, Adegoke explained that the limited period allocated for the competition might require some teams to play on consecutive days or with only a day’s rest between matches. To accommodate the schedule, participating teams will be allowed to register 24 players, while the number of permitted substitutes per match has been increased to seven.
Highlighting what distinguishes ECL from other football competitions, he announced that photographers and videographers would be present at every match to capture the games from different angles. He also disclosed that the matches would be streamed live online through Sofascore to provide wider visibility and access to the competition.
The organisers further outlined the match durations for the different stages of the tournament. Group-stage and quarter-final matches will consist of two 30-minute halves, while the semi-final and final matches will feature two 40-minute halves, with a five-minute interval between halves. Female matches will consist of two 20-minute halves, separated by a 10-minute break.
On eligibility, the organisers stated that participating teams could feature only currently enrolled University of Ibadan students, including undergraduates, postgraduate students and Distance Learning Centre (DLC) students. Each team would also be permitted to register a maximum of three non-UI students, provided that at least one of them is an alumnus of the university.
Addressing players’ welfare and medical support, Adegoke assured team representatives that arrangements had been made to provide medical attention during the competition. He explained that this would include basic first-aid equipment and instruments.
“There is going to be proper medical attention. So, what I mean by proper, I mean the normal apparatuses and instruments that are meant to be in a first-aid box,” he said.
The competition’s rules and regulations were subsequently presented to team representatives, with the rulebook read out article by article, covering Articles 1 to 30.
Following the presentation, the organisers conducted the group-stage draw through a balloting process. Team owners were invited individually, according to their respective team names, to pick numbers determining their group allocations. The exercise produced three groups: Groups 1, 2 and 3.
On prizes, the organisers announced that the winners in the male category would receive ₦120,000, a trophy and a gold medal. The second-place team would receive ₦80,000 and a silver medal, while the third-place team would receive ₦60,000 and a bronze medal.
For the female category, the winning team would receive ₦50,000, a trophy and a medal, while the second- and third-place teams would receive medals and awards without monetary prizes. All participating players would also receive certificates of participation, alongside individual awards.
The conference ended at exactly 6:00 p.m. after the completion of the balloting exercise, with participating teams looking forward to the commencement of the competition on November 14.
