The zonal qualifiers for the 2026 FirstBank/Samuel Okwaraji Foundation U16 Inter Secondary Schools Football Tournament have kicked off, with young footballers from different parts of the country competing for places in the next stage.
The nationwide qualifiers are taking place in Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Owerri, as schools battle for the opportunity to continue their campaign in the youth football competition.
In Abuja, which represents the North Central zone, six schools are competing at Sunrise Sports City in a series of matches expected to produce intense action and promising young talents.
The participating schools have been drawn into three groups, with two teams in each group. Government Secondary School, Mabushi, will face Spate Ajele Community Secondary School, Ilorin, in Group A, while Holy Trinity College, Lokoja, will meet Hill Top Model School, Minna, in Group B.
The Group C fixture will see Government Secondary School, Lafia, take on St. John College, Jos, as the teams look to make a strong start to their qualification campaign.
With two teams in each group, the winner of every group will secure an automatic place in the semi finals. The remaining spot in the last four will go to the best performing team among the three group runners up.
The Abuja zone is expected to provide a strong platform for secondary school footballers from the North Central region to display their ability, compete against other talented players and push for further progress in the tournament.
The qualifiers in Kano, Lagos and Owerri are also underway as part of the nationwide programme aimed at discovering, developing and promoting emerging football talents from secondary schools across Nigeria.
The tournament continues to provide young players with an opportunity to gain valuable competitive experience while putting their football abilities on display before a wider audience.
