The regional selection rounds for the first edition of the Sam Okwaraji Championship, backed by FirstBank Plc, have wrapped up. AllAfrica reported that twelve schools earned entry into the upcoming national stage. The tournament took place across six geopolitical zones, offering young players a chance to display their abilities in local venues.
In the Lagos hub, which included participants from four states, Ondo and Ogun advanced. According to AllAfrica, Ondo State took the top spot with seven points from three games, remaining the only side without a defeat. Ogun secured the second berth after beating both Lagos and Oyo, yet they were surpassed by Ondo in their final match. The Ondo squad won 2-0 to lead the table, while Lagos placed third on four points and Oyo finished last with zero points.
At the Owerri venue in the South-East, Imo and Abia states took the available slots. Ezeachi Secondary School from Orlu in Imo State achieved a flawless record, accumulating a maximum of nine points. They beat Ebonyi State’s Estington Academy International School 1-0 at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, following earlier wins over Enugu and Abia. Abia State’s Community Secondary School in Aba obtained the second slot by defeating Enugu’s Saint Theresa College 2-1. AllAfrica noted that this win marked a turnaround for Abia, which had previously lost 1-0 to Imo but had started its campaign with a win over Estington Academy.
The South-South selection was held in Calabar, where Delta State won the title with ten points. Rivers State placed second on seven points, and both teams took the two open slots for the national stage. AllAfrica added that six schools had earlier advanced from the Northern zones, bringing the total number of participating schools in the national finals to twelve.