WAUG 2026 Football: OAU Giant Knock Out Defending Champions UDS, Set Up Final Clash With Lead City

Obafemi Awolowo University’s football team, OAU Giant, has reached the final of the West African University Games (WAUG) after defeating defending champions University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana, on penalties.

The match ended goalless after regulation time, sending the semifinal into a penalty shootout. Adebimpe Israel converted the decisive penalty to send OAU Giant into the final as the shootout ended 4–3.

Speaking with Adebimpe Israel, he said, ‘It is a big one for us, and the goal is the gold because when you are in the final, you will aim for the gold.’ He further said there was no moment when they thought hope was gone. Although there was a lot of pressure, they knew they were going to win.

‘Playing the match-deciding penalty came with a lot of pressure for me. At a point, I was running back, but it came to the point where I was the only one left to take the penalty. At that point, the university was counting on him, and I had to turn up.’

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Another player of OAU Giant, who also scored a penalty, Toheeb, said, ‘I thought the hope was gone when we lost the first penalty, but I was so happy we won. And I want to tell our fans to trust us. We are winning this, getting the gold. Vamos!’ he further added.

OAU Giant Striker Esiakpere Anthony, who played through to the penalty shootout, also expressed that the match did not come easy from the start of the game to the last moment of the match.

He further added that they knew a penalty shootout was a game of luck, but all thanks to God for the victory. They fought from the beginning to the end, and there was never a time they thought hope was gone, even when they had opportunities to take the lead. He added that they could not tell whether the penalty shootout would be in their favour.

‘Although I missed a penalty, I don’t blame myself because I was the best penalty taker at training. However, I am pleading with the fans to just keep supporting us.’

Concurrently, the match did not come without a cost for OAU Giant, as Abbass Malick suffered an injury during the match. He was attended to by the team before he was taken to the health centre for adequate treatment.

OAU Giant are now set to meet Lead City University, who came from behind to draw their match against the University of Energy and Resources, Ghana (UER). Lead City defeated UER in a penalty shootout despite the Ghanaian goalkeeper saving Lead City University’s first penalty. However, Lead City won the shootout with a three-to-one scoreline.