Ayegba tips FCT women’s tournament to unearth new pro players

The 2026 Women’s Inter-Area Council Football Tournament in the Federal Capital Territory could produce new professional players and future international stars, HerGame Foundation founder Pat Adjuma Ayegba has said.

Ayegba made the prediction at the competition’s opening ceremony. The tournament is organised by the HerGame Foundation in partnership with the FCT Football Association, whose support she praised in preparing for both this edition and last year’s event.

She said the competition is intended to give young female footballers regular competitive experience and a route towards higher-level clubs. Ayegba also pointed to players who emerged during the 2025 tournament as evidence of the opportunities created by the grassroots programme.

This year’s contest features teams from all six FCT area councils. Bwari, Gwagwalada and the Abuja Municipal Area Council are in Group A, while Abaji, Kuje and Kwali make up Group B. The group matches will be played on a home-and-away basis, with the leading two teams in each group advancing to the semi-finals.

The semi-finals are scheduled for September 2, followed by the final on September 5. The structure gives the participating players several competitive fixtures before the knockout stage and creates a pathway for the strongest performers to attract attention from clubs.

Ayegba, who also serves on the FCT FA board, said she expected more talent to be identified this year. She recalled supporting each participating team with ₦120,000 in the previous edition and credited the football association with increasing its backing for the current competition.