All roads lead to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital Sports Centre as the 8th UBTH Interprofessional/Veterans Cup kicks off on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
Sixteen teams across professions from medical, legal, military, financial institutions, academics, and journalism will fight it out in the three-week competition money-spinning competition.
The competition in the last eight years has seen the professionals of various fields display their footballing talents, which has left many followers in awe in admiration of the skills and techniques displayed by the veterans.
This year’s edition promises to be witness fireworks with more than five teams on the favourites list. Leading the favourites league are the defending champions, the Nigeria Medical Association who beat Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) in the last edition’s final. The NNPC FC are also ranked as another favourites going by their display last year.
Added to the favourites list is the Bankers FC who has always been a top side and contender in every one of the last seven editions. S&T Wheelers, the Barracks boys are also a big contender for the coveted title. Lastly, the UBTH FC is another huge favourite for this year’s title.
The sixteen teams are paired in four groups of four teams each, and two teams each will advance to the quarter-final stage from the group.
Groupings
Group A houses the defending champions, NMA FC, Golden Age FC, Benin Cameroon FC and Panthers FC. In group B, last year’s runners-up, NNPC FC, will slug it out with Edo MLS FC, the NBA FC and the Bankers — this is adjudged the group of death.
Headlining Group C is the Pen pushers team, Edo SWAN alongside UNIBEN FC, Benin Recreation Club and Dominion FC. The last group has in it UBTH FC, S&T Wheelers, First Bank All Stars and Edo Coaches FC.
The tournament kicks off Saturday morning, with defending champions NMA FC taking on Benin Cameroon FC at 9 am.
Other matches scheduled for day 1 are NNPC vs Edo MLS at 11 am, NBA FC vs Bankers FC at 2 pm and lastly, Golden Age will take on Panthers FC at 4 pm.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Darlington Obaseki, will be performing the ceremonial kick-off in what is his last tournament as the CMD.