By Adetutu Audu

According to details released ahead of the competition, the tournament will move from a single-location format to a national tour model. Teams will compete in state-based qualifiers, with the overall structure designed to narrow the field from 128 sides to 20 teams for the scouting round. From that stage, four teams will emerge to contest the semi-finals, third-place match and final in Abuja.

The 2026 edition is scheduled to begin with qualifiers running from April 1 to April 18, 2026. The competition will be divided into North and South Conferences during the preliminary phase.

In the North Conference, fixtures will take place sequentially across six locations. Kano State will host matches on April 1, followed by Kaduna State on April 4. Benue State will stage its round on April 7, Niger State on April 10, Nasarawa State on April 13, while the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) will conclude the northern qualifiers on April 16.

The South Conference will commence on April 1 in Lagos State, with additional host states expected to feature in the southern schedule as the qualifiers progress.

After the state rounds, 20 teams will advance to a dedicated scouting phase. Organisers say this stage is intended to further assess performance levels before the final competitive rounds. From there, four teams will qualify for the concluding fixtures in Abuja, where the semi-finals, third-place playoff and final will be played.

The decision to centralise the closing stages in the Federal Capital Territory is expected to provide a neutral venue for the tournament’s decisive matches. With participation spanning multiple regions, the 2026 edition represents one of the competition’s most extensive formats to date.