Team 360 Eyes Redemption with Bold 2025 1xCup Campaign

From July through October, Nigeria will host the third edition of the 1xCup, an amateur football tournament sponsored by global company 1xBet. Team 360, keen to atone for their near-miss in 2024, have regrouped under fresh leadership and bold aspirations.

Founded in 2013 by Hamza Akeem Oladimeji, originally playing street football in Surulere, Lagos, Team 360 aims to nurture local talent. With Shola Raji as coach and Feranmi Olusegun as captain, the side made its debut in last year’s 1xCup after Oladimeji discovered the tournament online and enlisted his team.

The club were struck by the electric atmosphere and top‑notch organisation at the event. Despite being handicapped by absent key players who had moved abroad, their clash with Bariga United felt like a Champions League final, powered by an audience teeming with passion. Even though Team 360’s tactics were eventually outclassed, Oladimeji says there was no bitterness. The camaraderie among organisers, players and fans left them determined to return.

When asked what draws Team 360 to the competition, Oladimeji highlights its power as a springboard into professional football, claiming that some participants may yet shine as stars like Jay‑Jay Okocha, Taribo West or Victor Osimhen. He adds that the tournament fosters community unity and offers a ₦20 million prize pool ₦10 million to the winner. The individual award for best goal includes tickets to Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations matches and ₦300,000.

Registrations run from 2 to 20 June. Team 360 are eager to demonstrate that this year, they mean business: Your Community – Your Cup.

Editorial

We view Team 360’s journey as emblematic of hope and grassroots potential in Nigerian football. Their story reminds us that ambition and community passion can transform amateur players into genuine contenders. When Oladimeji speaks of “springboard for a successful professional career”, we hear both humility and a bold vision for change.

We are persuaded that such tournaments go beyond mere competition they knit communities, unearth hidden gems and challenge the notion that opportunity only comes through elite academies. Every dribble, every shout from the terraces, becomes part of a larger narrative of possibility.

We find it striking that despite last year’s disappointment, Team 360 returned with renewed vigour and structural improvements. That resilience demonstrates character. With fresh talent like Muiz and seasoned leadership from Olusegun, this squad looks more balanced, gritty and ready to fulfil its promise.

We believe that the support of local fans, mobilised behind the banner of “Your Community – Your Cup”, could tilt the scales. In tournaments like this, fans often equate to a twelfth player and Team 360 look set to harness that energy fully.

We conclude by reaffirming that redemption is not just about winning it’s about refining the journey, embracing setbacks and emerging stronger. On the evidence so far, Team 360 are on exactly that path, and we will be watching eagerly as they chase their 2025 redemption.

Did You Know?

1. The inaugural 1xCup took place in 2023, attracting over 160 applicants with 68 teams competing in 2025.
2. Bariga FC were champions in 2023, taking home ₦1 million, while FC Bethel Sporting won the 2024 title and ₦10 million.
3. The best-goal award winner earns a trip to AFCON 2025 in Morocco alongside 1xBet ambassador Bi Bernard.
4. Registration for 2025 is exclusive to Lagos State clubs featuring players aged 18 and over, with 64 to 68 teams making the main draw.
5. 1xCup 2025 boosts its prize money to ₦20 million twice the previous year’s prize pool.