Twelve teams have been drawn into three groups for the 16th edition of the Annual Ships & Ports Maritime Cup Competition, with the organisers vowing to clamp down on mercenary players ahead of the battle for the title.

The draw took place on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Sports Ground, ahead of the tournament scheduled for 10 to 26 November at The Stable, Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos.

Bringing together players from Nigeria’s maritime, shipping and logistics sectors, the annual competition uses football to promote fitness, teamwork, discipline and camaraderie among industry stakeholders.

The draw placed four teams in each of the three groups. Group A comprises Cosco Shipping, Dangote Ports, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA).

Group B features ENL Consortium, Micura, the Nigeria Customs Service and Comet Shipping, while Group C brings together the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Landfall Transport and Towage (LTT), Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

Tournament coordinator Oluwatosin Rotimi expressed confidence that this year’s edition would be more competitive and exciting, citing the preparedness of the participating teams.

The competition’s Technical Adviser, Prince Adesegun Kosoko, welcomed team representatives and reviewed the 2025 edition, inviting suggestions on how to improve the tournament.

However, concerns over the alleged use of mercenaries emerged as a key talking point when Nigerian Ports Authority team captain, Engineer Kabiru Zakari, called for tougher measures against teams fielding players who are not genuine industry workers.

Zakari warned that the practice undermined the competition’s central purpose of bringing maritime professionals together through sport and recreation.

Responding, Kosoko said the use of mercenaries had declined since the tournament’s early years, assuring participants that additional internal measures would be deployed to curb the practice in 2026.

He urged teams to familiarise themselves with the competition’s rules and follow the prescribed procedures when lodging complaints, stressing that verbal complaints would not be entertained.

Dangote team coordinator Marvelous Ajayi praised Ships & Ports Communication Company for sustaining the tournament over the years and urged participants to embrace sportsmanship, reminding them that the competition was not a do-or-die affair.

He also called for effective communication between organisers and teams to ensure a smooth tournament.

Player screening is scheduled for 4 November, ahead of the competition’s kick-off.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Lagos State Football Referees Council, Dele Atoun, briefed the teams on key amendments to the Laws of the Game, highlighting rules that could prove decisive during matches.

These included the requirement for substituted players to leave the pitch promptly, with replacements expected to enter within the stipulated 10 seconds; the eight-second limit for goalkeepers to release the ball after gaining control; and sanctions for delaying restarts.

Atoun also explained the procedures for treating injured players, including the requirement for affected players to leave the field for the prescribed period.

The briefing was designed to ensure that teams understood the regulations and minimise disputes.