Football team taste victory in Midlands tournament | News

January 2026

College football team tastes victory in inaugural Midlands tournament

By Sean Madden

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A team of further education students from University College Birmingham have brought home the trophy in the Midlands' first College Collaboration Project (CCP) football tournament.

Created as a way to bring together students from further education institutions across the region, the CCP will, in future events, involve competitions across a number of different sports, with teams battling to be crowned overall champions and take home the cup.

Chris Adjei, Waqil Ahmed, Babatunde Ajileye, Taejarn Belle, John Corbett, Zakriya Khan, Yahya Mahamed, Glody Massamba, Anpili Njoya, Bismark Boateng, and Daniel Wahid Estrella made up the UCB contingent, and the students, each studying for their BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport, Fitness and Personal Training, travelled away to Walsall College for the 5-a-side, indoor competition.

In the first tournament of its kind, each college brought two separate teams, and all played against each other in a round-robin style.

Defeating all comers, the team from UCB romped to victory, returning home with the trophy - but knowing that retaining it will be another battle entirely.

"Both of our teams were incredible, and although the main purpose of the event was to build ties with other colleges and encourage teamwork, we were also proud to see them emerge victorious at the end of the day," said Jennie Collins, Senior Lecturer in Sport for FE.

"Now they need to focus on winning it again for the next edition of the tournament in March!"

Taejarn Belle was on the winning side in the competition, and was quick to praise the sport for its ability to unite, as well as his team mates' winning mentality.

"The tournament was a great experience. Football is just an amazing sport that brings people together," he said.

"We knew what we had to do, expecting to win is the only mentality in our group and now we have the trophy."

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"Watching our students compete at the tournament reinforced why enrichment matters. It builds resilience, belonging, and life skills that no timetable alone can teach."

Jennie Phillips Senior Lecturer, FE Sport