On the 18th of November 2022, Ajayi FC picked up the silver medal in the final match of the CMD cup. This was after they lost the final match 5-4 on penalty shootouts after playing a stalemate at the end of extra time. The Chief Medical Director’s football cup competition is an annual competition organized by the Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital, Ibadan between various teams in the UCH community.
The cup competition featured eight (8) teams in a preliminary two-group format comprising four (4) teams each, after which the first two teams from each group were to proceed to the semi-final and then the winners of the respective semi-final matches will proceed to the final with the other two losing teams playing a third-place match.
The eight (8) teams featured in the competition were: Ilesanmi FC, Shenjobi FC, Osuntokun FC, Olatawura FC, Cole FC, Salako FC, Owosekun FC and Ajayi FC. Ajayi FC, the team that represented Alexander Brown Hall (ABH), featured several UIMSAites including Ariyo Adeoluwa, Saliyu Abdulbasit, Rockson Godwin, Popoola Olasunkanmi, Adeseye Sylvester, Alabi Qouyyum, Shittu Ridwan, Akinnusoye David, Akinlabi Habeeb, Okoro Chinedu, Moshood Fuhad, Uguru Charles, Adejumo Sheriff, Odewabi Anuoluwapo, Adepoju Teslim and Fagbeno Mustapha.
The competition kicked off earlier on the 26th of October at 4 pm with the opening match between Shenjobi FC and Osuntokun FC. Ajayi FC had their first match on the 28th of October against Owosekun FC which they lost 2-0. Ajayi went on to win their next two matches to finish second in group A and qualify for the semi-finals. They went on to play Osuntokun FC, the winner of Group B, whom they won 2-0 to proceed to the finals. In the final, they then fell to the challenge of Cole FC after a very fierce battle. The faces of the Ajayi FC players revealed great disappointment at not clinching the trophy this year. It was still a good outing for the team nevertheless having gotten to the final for the first time in the competition.
Utibe Emmanuel