Etisalat U-15 school cup national finals begin in Lagos

The eight teams that qualified for the national finals of the third season of the Etisalat U-15 School Cup have begun their quest for the tournament’s grand prize at the Digital Bridge Institute, Oshodi, Lagos State.

The quarter-finalists are Socrates Secondary School, Ilorin; Sultan Bello Secondary School, Sokoto; Niger College, Benin; FOSLA Academy, Abuja; Asegun Comprehensive Secondary School, Ibadan; New Layout Secondary School, Enugu; General Hassan Usman Kastina Unity College, Bauchi and West Itam Secondary School, Itu, Akwa Ibom.

In the opening fixtures billed for Tuesday, Kwara State, represented by Socrates Secondary School, Ilorin, will lock horns with Niger College, Edo State, while Sultan Bello Secondary School, Sokoto, will square up to FOSLA Academy, FCT.

In the remaining fixtures of the day, General Hassan Usman Kastina Unity College, Bauchi, will come up against West Itam Secondary School, Akwa Ibom, while New Layout Secondary School, Enugu, will face Oyo-based Asegun Comprehensive Secondary School, Ibadan.

According to the Director, Brand and Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Ogiemwanye, “The key objective of the competition in 2016 is to connect and unite football lovers from different parts of the country using the universal language of football. For us at Etisalat, football goes beyond winning goals; it is all about the friendship and connection it brings. It is also a good platform to teach these students life values such as team work, discipline, tolerance and sportsmanship.”

The national champion of the 2016 edition will receive the Champions Trophy and a cash prize of N2 million educational award while its players will go home with N50,000 each. The second-placed team will go home with N1 million with the players pocketing extra N30,000 each while the third-place winner will have the sum of N750,000.00 for its efforts with its players receiving N20,000.00 each.