Saint Francis of Assisi (October) have retained the Saint Hilda Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) Patrons Cup after defeating Saint John the Baptist (June) 2–1 in a penalty shootout, following a 1–1 draw at the end of regulation time in the final of the competition’s eighth edition on Sunday.
The victory marked a successful title defence for St. Francis of Assisi, who faced the same opponents in last year’s final, reinforcing the rivalry between the two teams in the annual football competition.
The defending champions took the lead with a late first-half goal before St. John the Baptist fought back to equalise midway through the second half. Both sides subsequently failed to find a winner before the final whistle, leaving the championship to be decided by penalties, where St. Francis of Assisi prevailed 2–1.
In the third-place encounter, St. Peter Damian (February) defeated St. Alexander the Great (December) in a penalty shootout after both teams played out an entertaining 2–2 draw in regulation time.
St. Peter Damian had taken an early lead in the encounter, with both sides finding the net in each half before the match proceeded to penalties. Their goalkeeper emerged as a key figure in the shootout, making crucial saves to secure victory for his team.
Meanwhile, Peter Fagbemi of St. Francis of Assisi won the Best Goalkeeper award, while Jude Njoku of St. George (April) emerged as the tournament’s highest goal scorer with eight goals.
The 2026 competition, organised by the Catholic Men Organisation of St. Hilda Catholic Church, Obadore, commenced on Sunday, June 21, at Primetouch Field, Obadore, with 11 teams competing across two groups.
Speaking on the organisation of the tournament, Chairman of the Sports Committee, Jude Adoga, said this year’s edition was sustained through the determination and collective support of CMO members.
“We commenced this year’s competition with relatively low morale due to the lack of sponsorship. However, the zeal, determination and collective support of CMO members helped us overcome the initial challenges and bring the tournament to fruition.
“I am particularly grateful to all members whose commitment and contributions ensured that the competition got off to a great start and successful conclusion,” Adoga said.
The annual competition promotes sportsmanship, unity, fellowship and healthy competition among members of the Catholic Men Organisation.
