It’s that time of the year again.
SEALS – that time of the academic session when ‘Saltuns’ is the most legible inscription you would find around the SUB pitch, when the worn out nets will be stripped off the goalposts and be graced with new ones, when thousands of students will add ‘go to SUB’ to their to-do lists to cheer their department’s players, when the bragging rights of UItes will be sports-personified, when we will be witnesses to talents who we think can do so much better than that right winger we don’t like in United, or that left back at Liverpool. It’s a sight to behold, and even much better with this edition cementing its place in history as the year we had our maiden edition for the female category.
For the students – especially freshmen – who are new to this highly anticipated tourney, SEALS Cup is an inter-departmental football tournament between different departments in the University of Ibadan. It’s keenly contested between 32 departments in 64 matches from the first group stage game onto the finals (with a third-place match inclusive).
Since its revival two years ago, it’s been a gift that keeps giving. With its subtle banters on group chats, bragging rights to friends from other departments, camaraderie between classes in the same departments, emotional displays and tears rolling off cheeks, graceful chants to cheer up fans, sweaty shirts on pitch and by the stands, you are indeed getting a full package. As a teaser into this tourney that’s knocking, this piece aims to analyse what’s at stake for participants, predict outcomes based on individual qualities, and put into writing the expectations of UI students ready to sweat out support for their departmental teams every game day.
Stakes
On the 1st of July, 2024, the SEALS Cup planning committee released the modalities of the tournament alongside registration details. For many, that was the first official announcement that revealed the intention to have the maiden edition for the females alongside the male category that has been in existence for quite some time. For the male category, the registration fee is 20,000 Naira – which is 5000 Naira more than the fee from SEALS Cup ‘23. When inquiring about the reason for the increment, Ayobami Ojeniyi, a member of the planning committee, said ‘The Economy is the major thing. Virtually every expense we’re making has an increase of up to 50% in price from the last edition. Also, money from registration has never been enough to run the competition. Everything coming in this year from registration is around 700k. Budget is almost twice that.’
The females are paying half that amount to register which is quite fair considering the style of tournament they are playing instead (5-a-side). SEALS Cup ‘23 winning prizes for the winners, 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up were 100,000 Naira, 50,000 Naira, and 25,000 Naira, respectively. At the very least, this meant that the third-best team had 10,000 Naira profit – from the registration fee – into their purses alongside the bronze medals. The winners got more than 6x the registration fee back, with gold medals of course. Even while the prizes for SEALS Cup ‘24 is not out yet, one would expect an increase from last year’s since the registration fee went up. These are the stakes that the 32 registered male teams would have considered before making the final decision to participate. It’s noteworthy that all 32 teams have to fight their way to the finals – or third place at the very least – to get rewarded in cash and kind. Also, this is excluding the extra financial efforts departmental teams have to make to get their players ready for each game and energized for the next. For teams like MBBS, a huge sum of money will go into transporting a considerable number of players from UCH to UI for each game. Knowing how much Mark Obeya, the former team coach, spent from his pockets for this cause, Olamide Omotunde, the current coach, thinks renting a bus is a viable option, only that we have to fuel it.
Analyses
Philosophy, just like France in Russia ‘18 and Qatar ‘22 World Cups (but the reverse), got to two finals back to back. They lost their first against Geography in SEALS Cup ‘22 but won their second against Political Science in SEALS Cup ‘23. It would be ignorant to not think highly of this team in this coming tournament. Even while there were reservations and concerns about the validity of the SEALS CUP ALL-TIME XI graphics released by the committee, going by the last 2 editions, it’s not totally incorrect to find a few players from Philosophy on the XI. Awo from Philosophy on the RMF position in a 4-4-2 XI was a force in the last edition but is now a graduate. Papi was also on a roll on defenders in the opposition teams, maybe the Obeya-led MBBS team being an exception. The debutantes – MBBS – showed the UI community the stuff they were made of, when they are not on scrubs or ward coats running around the University College Hospital. I think it was very good but could have been slightly better plus we were a bit unlucky, said Obeya, when asked about the run they had in SEALS Cup ‘23. Eyes are on the bronze medalists in SEALS Cup ‘24, especially looking at the fact that they only lost two players to graduation, Basit at the center back and Lukman at the right back.
Industrial and Production Engineering – the famous IPE – also has a catalogue that commands conversations. While two members – Olaxy and Okoh Daniel – of their squad from the previous edition have now graduated, majority of their players are from 300 and 400 level. Is it the VK x Bukunmi defence pair? Or the terror called Kenneth in the midfield? Many people would be of the opinion that these guys are still favourites in SEALS Cup ‘24 most especially because a chunk of their starting XI from the last edition are still around. Maybe bar the finals, the IPE vs MBBS quarter finals game pulled the most crowd in SEALS Cup ‘23 and even Obeya is of the opinion that ‘IPE were very well set up. My team classically played with a sort of modified mid block plus high press. They were the only team I saw that had answers to it, especially in the second half of the game against us.’ Geography pulling a Germany in Brazil ‘14 and Russia ‘18 World Cup was something nobody saw coming at all. Going from knocking out Philosophy in SEALS ‘22 to crashing out of group stage in SEALS ‘23 was one of the top highlights. Still, Kay from Geography was considered worthy to make the XI released but he is now a graduate. Although Germany still crashed out of group stage in Qatar ‘22, Geography might have something different for us and we can only wait to see.
Political Science, the 1st runner-up in the last SEALS and the only team that scored a goal in regular minutes against MBBS throughout the tournament, has Pogba and Oba in their midfield. These duo are still very much around and all things being equal, they are still favorites. Another noteworthy player on the Political Sciences’ team is their goalie, Olami, who made the slot in the XI. With respect to the semi-finals game against MBBS, Noah Sunday said ‘Olami was very active and on top of his game.’ Human Kinetics and Health Education – popularly known as KHE – had a player, Daniel Adeshina (the current UI’SU Sports Secretary) popularly known as Oscar, on the XI. Although he’s in the right back position on the lineup, Daniel said ‘I’m a midfielder and also a utility player.’ KHE were knocked out in the last SEALS in the group stage but Daniel doesn’t seem timid as he told UIMSA Press that ‘We are coming stronger, watch out.’ They have only lost about 2 or 3 players to graduation and the current squad has players split between all classes. So while there might not be so many changes to the squad that got knocked out in the last tournament, Daniel believes that things will be different this time. Pharmacy boys claimed that workload deprived them of the opportunity to register for SEALS ‘23 but it seems like they are ready to take on the challenge this time. Simeon Fagoroye of 300-level Pharmacy and a member of the squad – who can play the 8 and 10 position – admits that the chunk of the team are in 400 and 500 level but they are confident in their guys.’ He also expects the Pharmacy team to walk the pitch on the day of the finals despite not playing the last edition.
Physiology were knocked out of SEALS ‘23 by Computer Science in the quarter finals stage – after showing the LARIS the road back to their department in the round of 16. With 3 of their starting XI already out of UI as graduates, some changes will be effected in the team. Collins, their natural winger who had to strike for the team in SEALS ‘23, will go back to his original position. Their goalie, who is part of the 3, will most likely be replaced by a 200-level Leonard. Alexander Udechukwu, the team’s no. 10 said they ‘plan on improving and converting their chances properly.’ Computer Science also lost their former captain, Grealish, and George to graduation but Anthony Olowe said they have a few more players who transferred to the department and the new DE students. Microbiology might put up a show in this tournament, judging from their tenacity against MBBS in the round of 16 for SEALS ‘23, and being the only one of the two teams to not concede from MBBS in regular minutes – bar Political Science. From the series of pre-SEALS Cup friendlies that held this past week, History might be making a statement clear to UI students. The Historians, after a 3-0, 3-1, and 2-0 win against Philosophy, Political Science, and IPE, respectively, can dare to dream of lifting the trophy – or at least they think.
Predictions
What’s a full package of pre-SEALS Cup era without anticipation, banters, chitter-chatters and most especially predictions? One would think the little changes in the teams’ dynamics would also affect the widely acclaimed favourites but it’s not entirely the case. Noah Sunday from Political Science said ‘I expect us to win the tournament, we were in the finals last year and I believe we can bring the cup home this time.’ He also believes that ‘MBBS and IPE can be of great challenge and worthy contender for the cup.’ Considering how heated the MBBS vs IPE game was in the last edition, it’s not unusual to expect so much from both teams in this tournament. Simeon from Pharmacy shares almost the same sentiment as Noah; only that the slight difference is Simeon expecting IPE and Philosophy to lead the race among the favourites to win the trophy – that is aside Pharmacy who Simeon believes are the best team to clinch gold. In his words, he wants UI students to ‘MáFò’. Alexander of Physiology believes that his team, Philosophy, and Computer Science are the favourites. Computer Science lost the bronze medal to MBBS in SEALS ‘23 after losing against the defending champions to qualify for third-place. Maybe a few changes and they would be formidable, just maybe. Anthony, who thinks he might not be able to play in this SEALS, admits that IPE, MBBS and Computer Science are favourites to lift the trophy. Olamide, popularly known as Liam, MBBS’ head coach, thinks ‘maybe IPE, Vet, KHE, and Political Science’ are favourites. Victor ‘VK’ Kolawole from IPE believes that favourites are MBBS and KHE. Most predictions feature teams from the last 4 in SEALS ‘23 and a few outliers who were unlucky in the race to gold.
Conclusion
A popular quote reads ‘The best way to predict the future is to study the past.’ While that sounds rational, another somewhat counter-intuitive quote reads ‘Everything changes with time.’ The uncertainty and thrill we feel from watching these talents on SUB pitch is nothing short of what the world feels on European football nights. These stakes, analyses, and predictions, are to prepare our minds of what to expect from the tournament even as we carry our respective departmental teams on our heads. Is Philosophy pulling a two-peat? Is Political Science pulling a Philosophy in SEALS ‘22 and SEALS ‘23? Is IPE coming to put an end to the Socrates show? Is MBBS coming to cart the most coveted medals back to UCH – the other side of the divide? Or is an unexpected underdog prepared to send the ‘big guns’ back to their faculties? Football, that remains – and will continue to remain – a gift that keeps giving, will unravel the mystery to us in 64 matches. Will you be there? Because UIMSA Press will be.
Peter Adeyemo.
