The zonal qualifiers for the inaugural FirstBank/Samuel Okwaraji Under-16 Championship have ended, with 12 secondary schools from six states securing qualification for the national finals.
A statement issued on Saturday by the Organising Committee of the championship chaired by Sen. Osita Izunaso, listed the states as Ondo, Ogun, Imo, Abia, Delta and Rivers.
The competition, sponsored by FirstBank Nigeria Plc, was organised in collaboration with the Samuel Okwaraji Foundation, Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF) and the National Sports Commission (NSC).
The championship is aimed at honouring the memory of Samuel Okwaraji, the former Super Eagles midfielder who died on Aug. 12, 1989, after collapsing during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying match against Angola at the National Stadium, Lagos.
Beyond celebrating the football legend, the competition seeks to promote patriotism, education, selfless service, national unity and grassroots sports development among young Nigerians.
Izunaso commended FirstBank for supporting the initiative, describing corporate investment in grassroots sports as an important contribution to nation-building.
FirstBank’s Managing Director, Olusegun Alebiosu, said the bank’s sponsorship was part of its commitment to discovering, nurturing and maximising the potential of young footballers.
“Football remained a strong unifying force capable of bringing communities together, inspiring discipline and developing talents across the country.
“The championship also seeks to encourage students to embrace education alongside sports, while promoting national unity and positive values among young people.
“It also provides an opportunity for secondary-school students to combine academic pursuits with sporting activities while discovering and developing their football talents,” Alebioso was quoted as saying.
The competition began at the state-level across the country, providing secondary schools with an opportunity to compete for places in the zonal playoffs.
The southern zonal eliminations, held from Nov. 3 to Nov. 7, featured the South-East, South-South and South-West zones.
The South-East matches were played at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri; South-South at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar; while the South-West competition held at the Nathaniel Idowu Sports Complex, popularly known as Maracana, in Lagos.
In the South-East, Imo’s Ezeachi Secondary School, Orlu, emerged champions after winning all three matches to finish with nine points.
Abia’s Community Secondary School, Aba, secured the second ticket after defeating Enugu’s St. Theresa College, Nsukka, 2-1 in their final encounter.
The victory completed Abia’s comeback after losing 0-1 to eventual group winners Imo in its second match.
Abia had earlier opened its campaign with a 2-1 victory over Ebonyi before securing qualification with the final-day win.
At the Calabar centre, which hosted the South-South qualifiers, Delta emerged champions with 10 points, while Rivers finished second with seven points to secure the two available tickets.
Six schools had earlier qualified for the national finals from the Northern zones.
The national finals will feature 12 schools drawn from the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Okwaraji, who was 25 when he died, remains one of Nigeria’s most celebrated footballers because of his patriotism and commitment to national service.
He collapsed and died on Aug. 12, 1989, while representing Nigeria in a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Angola at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
Through the championship, the organisers hope to preserve his legacy while creating opportunities for a new generation of Nigerian footballers.
