The 2025 Nigeria Scrabble Federation Inter Club finals begins today at the Florence Hotel and Suites Benin City, Edo State, South South, Nigeria with eight teams in attendance.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups of four teams each during the draw for the finals conducted by the tournament director Kaleel Adedeji and assisted by Umar Faruq Baba-Inna.
Defending champions Pyramid Scrabble Club of Lagos are in Group B with Port Harcourt SC, Central Scrabble Club A of Abuja and Gateway SC while host Benin Scrabble Club, Surulere SC, Yenagoa SC and Central SC B Abuja are in Group A.
Captain of Central Scrabble Club of Abuja, Francis Molokwu told our correspondent that they are in the Inter Club finals to win it.
“We are in Benin City not as tourists but a strong contenders for the title. Youth, experience and team work will enhance our chances of winning the scrabble club crown at the end of this competition that will be keenly contested.”
He added that, Central Scrabble Club Abuja which is the biggest scrabble in Nigeria and by extension the biggest in Africa is a mixture of talented youths, experience older ones and players with different intriguing and captivating styles of play.
“Central Scrabble Club is a unique unifier, its a perfect mixture of different sectors of the society, students, business, technocrats, politicians, men and women from various states of the Federation and the depth of their support and generosity to the club and its members is very commendable.”
Francis Molokwu, who has been with Central Scrabble Club since 2009 explained that, despite the absence of some top players of the Club in Benin City due to family reasons, the crop of players on ground will certainly make the competition podium.
This is Central Scrabble Club A Abuja roster, David Yuwa, Friday Ogboyomi, Chris Nnamani, Eugene Okim and Prince Majemite. Francis Molokwu, Emeka Ekwenugo, Success Sule, Kelvin Ekeh and Lanre Adigun are members of CSCA B.
Pyramid Scrabble Club of Lagos under the guidance of captain Dipo Akanbi are the defending champions. The team has in its armoury, some scrabble germs like multiple national champion John Aiyedun, experience coach Ayo Akinfemisoye, Femi Simpson and Bright Uzu.
Gateway SC that is making its first outing in the competition has in its fold current African champions Oluwatimilehi Doko, Abdulmumin Jimoh, Cyril Umebiye, David Ojih
and Hakeem Ogundokun.
Captain fantastic, Olumide Oyejide will be matching his Surulere Scrabble Club troops out in Benin City to better their second finish at Rolak Hotel and Suites in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State 12 months ago where they lost to city rival, Pyramid SC.
Other members of Surulere SC are Joseph Okere, Timi Olaitan, Olatunde Adigun and Effiong Bassey. Surulere SC will be missing top wordsmith Hakeem Olaribegbe and Opeyemi Oloro.
Olumide Oyejide, believes that finishing on the honours list is not beyond the team they have in Benin City. “Winning will be a big bonus for us but we don’t want to finish outside the podium.”
Telema Erekosima, Adeyemi Adesina, Chika Kalu, Kingsley Alozie, Bornfirst Dakorite and Tamunosiki Fubaraare holding it down for Port Harcourt SC while captain Igali Precious in company of Vincent Munanyo, Bright Ohaka, Ezekiel Eniekebi and Doubra Enai will be seeking to write Yenagoa Scrabble Club’s name in gold.
Idahosa Bright and recently crowned NSF Asaph Zadok National Championship winner George Ezinore, Onyehi Martins, Umukoro Oghomaria, Victor Osawe and Izebere Choice are wearing the red and white strip of Benin City Scrabble Club.
THE GROUPS
Group A
• Benin SC
• CSC B
• Yenegoa SC
• Surulere SC
Group B
• Pyramid SC
• CSC A
• Port Harcourt SC
• Gateway SC
The two top teams in each group after 15 rounds of games will advance to the semi-finals and five rounds of games will determine who zooms into the finals while the two teams that could not reach the final hurdle will play for bronze.
To reach this stage of the competition, six clubs, CSC A, Gateway SC, Port Harcourt SC, Surulere SC, CSC B and Yenegoa SC secured their slots from the zonal qualifiers.
Pyramid SC and Benin SC were given wild cards as defending champions and host State.
