UNILORIN, JOSTUM battle for Varsity Cup title as OAU, UNN play for bronze

Fireworks will be at their crescendo as an outstanding 2024 Varsity Cup men’s football season comes to an end today, at the main bowl of the University of Benin Sports Complex, Edo State.

The finals will feature the best four university teams in Nigeria, comeback kings, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), will vie for the title against Joseph Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi (JOSTUM).

The third place game, which will precede the final match has Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (OAU) locking horns with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) for the bronze medal

The grand finale will crown an exhilarating five-week of action in campuses across the country, with over 50, 000 students across five campuses enjoying premium varsity football clashes.

Speaking on the 2024 competition, the President of the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA), Bawa Mohammed, said: “The ability of our students to make fireworks happen with the level of their football talent has never been in doubt. With the leadership of the Sports’ Directors of the participating universities – collegiate sports in Nigeria is on the right path. We are proud of them.”

An excited Varsity Cup CEO, Olamide Adeyemo, said: “We promised fireworks and the teams delivered them. Every Varsity Cup match was, and will always be explosive. This final is proof that Nigerian sports will always deliver when it matters.”

This finale promises to be electric as both finalists are from Group B, where their initial duel ended in a goalless draw, but UNILORIN eventually led the group due to the fair play rule as a JOSTUM player was handed a red card.

The third-place match is also a battle for supremacy as OAU men’s team initially beat UNN men’s team in their first encounter in Group A (2-0). So, both teams will be fighting for not only the bronze medal, but also bragging rights in this competition.