The 2024 edition of the Value Jet Cup will kick off on Wednesday (today) with a clash between newly promoted Nigeria Premier Football League sides Beyond Limits and Ikorodu City at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne,
The first pre-season tournament ahead of the 2024/25 season will see six other teams jostle for the prize pool of N16m in the one-week tournament, which will end on Wednesday, July 31.
They are defending champions 3SC, Sudanese champions Al Merrikh, Remo Stars, Rivers United, Kwara United, and Ijebu United.
The draws for the tournament were made in Ikenne on Tuesday, pitting the eight clubs in tough group stage battles.
Group A has 3SC, Ikorodu City, Beyond Limits, and Sudanese champions Al Merikkh, while Remo Stars, Rivers United, Kwara United, and Ijebu United will compete in Group B.
Chairman of the tournament, Tade Azeez, said that the increase in the pool prize of the tournament from the previous edition was up to 300 per cent.
“Our objective is to create a top-level tournament for clubs preparing for their CAF games and the league season. We are also injecting funds into the tournament, and we have sustained the policy of increasing prize money every season. The pool for this year’s prize monies is up to N16m, about a 300 per cent increment in the prize and participation monies.
“We have recorded a lot of positive post-tournament stories from the clubs and players,” said Azeez.
The winner of this year’s edition will cart home N5 million. Last year’s winning prize was N2m, while the runners-up prize money has been increased from N1.5m to N2.5m.
The high point of last year’s tournament was the face-off between former Super Eagles goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba (Kwara United) and his son, Daniel, of Beyond Limits at the semi-finals, with both also saving penalties during the shootout won by Beyond Limits.
3SC won the tournament last year, beating Beyond Limits 2-0.
