CHARLOTTE, N.C. - With week eight of the CIAA football season just 24 hours away, many teams begin to separate themselves as the conference's best. The week will be highlighted by a matchup between undefeated Johnson C. Smith University who sits atop the conference, and Winston-Salem State who are just a game behind them in third place. 

While the game is sure to garner a lot of eyes, the matchup will mean a lot more for Ibrahim and Mohamed Meite, a pair of twin brothers who will be going head-to-head for the first time. 

The Meite brothers were born and raised in Greensboro, N.C., however their parents are Ivorian, originally from Côte D’Ivoire, West Africa. They began playing football at five years old. They come from a tight-knit family says their sister, Miss Koko Lombeko "The boys have always been close — they’re twins! However, they have always been competitive and always wanted the opportunity to play against each other". 



Ibrahim is a senior and an offensive lineman for Winston-Salem State. He's a first-year member to the team, however joining the Rams is something he'd longed to do, and was finally able to make happen prior to the 2024 season "The moment he made that decision, he got a call from Coach Holmes, the position coach at Winston with an offer and instantly knew that Winston was the place for him" said Lombeko. "I’ve heard him say before: “It was like a sign from God because I was going through my toughest time dealing with people who wouldn’t accept me. I had prayed about it and I had been a fan of WSSU since I was little anyway, so it was meant to be.” 



Mohamed has been a four-year member of Johnson C. Smith and is also in his senior season at Johnson C. Smith. Of the many things that drew him to JCSU, the scenery and location were his primary reasons "Mohamed chose to go to JCSU for the city life and opportunities that could come from the HBCU" said Lomboko.



The brothers will have numerous family members in attendance this weekend, along with their father and one of their sisters who will be streaming the game live.  

The game will take place on Saturday, October 26 at 1:00 P.M., and can be streamed live on HBCUGo here: https://bit.ly/3BWkWUh