1XBET Cup 2023: Games get tighter/ tougher, as teams battle for final 8 slots

Akeem Busari
The battles for the mouth-watering and ultimate prize in the maiden edition of the epochal 1XBET Football Cup Championship for Lagos based non-league sides, gets tougher and fiercer as it progresses after two rounds of matches in the DBI Conference of the championship, sponsored by leading betting company, 1XBET. 
In the round two matches of groups A and B, played Thursday and Friday respectively, at the Nitel Training Ground, venue of the DBI Conference, Soccer Touch FC in a group A encounter, came back from its earlier 1-3 loss to Fackson FC in match Day 1, to thrash Cheche Stars who drew its first game against Capital Avalanche, 3-0. 
Fackson maintained its leadership of the group with four points, following its 1-1 draw against Capital Avalanche. Going into the final games of the group, Soccer Touch, Capital Avalanche and Cheche Stars, have three, two  and one points respectively. 
Bariga FC climbed to the top spot with four points in group B, after defeating hard-fighting and youthful Emiloju FC 1-0, in its second game, after playing a pulsating 2-2  draw against G-Innovation in the group B opening game. 
The game between Ifako FC and G-Innovation was another cracker in the series of top-end matches in the DBI Conference, as it ended in 2-2 draw. 
From the games so far played, G-Innovation and Ifako FC trails Bariga FC with two points each and followed by Emiloju FC with a solitary point. 
After eight matches played in both groups, twenty goals have been scored.
Action resumes in the intense, but crowd pleasing championship on Monday, at the same venue.