FAREWELL COACH IZILEIN
REST PEACEFULLY IN THE BOSOM OF THE ALMIGHTY
FAREWELL COACH IZILEIN
REST PEACEFULLY IN THE BOSOM OF THE ALMIGHTY
Edo FA, GYFDL Set to Unveil Next Generation of Football Stars
The Edo State Football Association (Edo FA), in conjunction with the Grassroots Youth Football Development League (GYFDL), is set to stage the Edo Select Showcase 2026, a strictly U-18 invitational tournament designed to identify, expose and develop some of the most promising young football talents across Edo State.
The three-day football talent showcase is scheduled to take place from September 2nd to 4th, 2026, at the Eagles Wings Sports Complex, Utagban, Benin City, Edo State.
The tournament is not just about competition; it is a deliberate talent-identification initiative aimed at bringing together the very best young footballers from across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Four Teams, One Mission
A total of four combined teams will participate in the invitational tournament:
* Edo-South 1 – Combined Team
* Edo-South 2 – Combined Team
* Edo-Central – Combined Team
* Edo-North – Combined Team
Each team will be made up of 18 players, including goalkeepers, giving the tournament a total pool of 72 selected players.
To ensure effective coordination and proper management of the teams, each team will have two designated coordinators responsible for assembling, coordinating and guiding their respective squads throughout the showcase.
A Strictly U-18 Talent Hunt
The Edo Select Showcase is strictly for players born in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The organizers are calling on coaches, scouts, football administrators and coordinators across Edo State to identify quality players with genuine football ability and potential.
This is not an opportunity to simply fill team slots. It is a platform to discover players who possess the technical ability, tactical understanding, athletic qualities, mentality and character required to progress to higher levels of the game.
The Ultimate Prize: A Place in the Edo Select Team
The biggest opportunity comes after the tournament.
At the conclusion of the Edo Select Showcase 2026, the best 22 players from the entire tournament will be selected to represent Edo State at the Grand Finale in Lagos.
That means every player taking part has an opportunity to catch the attention of the selectors and earn a place among the final 22 representing the state.
A Call for Fair and Honest Selection
The Edo State Football Association and the organizers of the Edo Select Showcase are particularly calling on all team coordinators to approach the selection process with fairness, transparency and the interest of Edo State football at heart.
Selection must be based on ability and potential, not connections, familiarity or sentiment.
The objective is simple: let us find the players who can go on to become the next generation of Edo and Nigerian football stars.
We want players who are sellable, talented, ambitious and capable of progressing into professional football. Players who can attract the attention of academies, professional clubs, scouts and football stakeholders.
Discovering Tomorrow’s Stars Today
The Edo Select Showcase 2026 represents another important step in the commitment of the Edo State Football Association and its partners towards grassroots football development and talent discovery.
From Edo-South to Edo-Central and Edo-North, the message is clear:
Bring your best. Bring the talented. Bring the players with the potential to go far.
The search for Edo’s next football stars begins at the Eagles Wings Sports Complex, Utagban, Benin City, from September 2nd–4th, 2026.
EDO SELECT SHOWCASE 2026
Four Teams. 72 Young Talents. 22 Finalists. One Big Opportunity.
Discovering Tomorrow’s Football Stars Today.
Making football truly grassroots, by fostering and promoting the core values of football that will help impact our community positively, socially, and economically.
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