The final of the National U-15 football competition sponsored by Zenith Bank in conjunction with the Nigeria Football Federation will take place today at the Agege Stadium in Lagos.
In the past four months, the competition has moved round the country at state and zonal levels in both the U-13 and U-15 levels.
The final round of matches for the U-13 took place in Kano during the recently concluded Super Six Invitational tournament.
The Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Seyi Akinwunmi, has been at the centre of the organisation of the tournament.
Zenith Bank’s Group Managing Director, Peter Amangbo, said the future of the youth taking part in the competition was paramount to the organization.
“We are happy to be staging a youth tournament to at least create a template for the young ones to exhibit their talents to the world. It will continue like this every year and we are confident that in future products of this competition will be in the Super Eagles,†Amangbo said.
It is about one year that the finals of the inaugural edition of the competition (U-13 and U-15) took place at the Onikan Stadium, with South West emerging champions in the U-15 category with a 2-0 defeat of South East, while South East defeated South South 4-2 in the final of the U-13 category.
This year, an enterprising North Central squad overcame equally ambitious South West team 4-2 on penalties in Kano to emerge champions of the U-13 category.
In the U-15 cadre, North West and South East take to the Agege Stadium turf on Tuesday afternoon for the intermediate honours, with last year’s runners-up South East determined to win the trophy this time.
NFF Technical Director, Mr. Bitrus Bewarang has commended event sponsors Zenith Bank International PLC, assuring the bank that its name would be etched in gold once the prodigies start making waves in the NPFL, Super Eagles and top Leagues overseas.
“The bank has put its money in the right place, and I am using this opportunity to call on other big players in Corporate Nigeria to embrace sports, because by embracing sports, they are assuring the future of the youth,†he said.
