By Ado Salisu
Four teams will battle for places in the final of the maiden edition of the Sam Okwaraji Under-16 Football Tournament in Yobe State, with Government Secondary School (GSS), Damaturu set to face GSS Goneri in one of the semi-final matches.
The semi-final fixtures will be played on Sunday, while the final is scheduled for Monday at the Game Village in Damaturu.
The Yobe State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Abba Idris, is expected to attend the final as the Special Guest of Honour.
The tournament is organised by the Sam Okwaraji Foundation and the Nigerian School Sport Federation (NSSF) in collaboration with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), with sponsorship from First Bank Plc. It is aimed at discovering and nurturing young football talents at the grassroots across the country.
The Sports Coordinator in the Yobe State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Hassan Dauda, described the standard of play displayed by the participating teams as impressive and urged the players to sustain their performance.
He commended Governor Mai Mala Buni and Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Abba Idris, for their commitment and support towards the development of sports in the state.
Dauda also called on residents of the state to turn out in large numbers to support the semi-finalists and encourage the young players.
The overall winner will represent Yobe State at the North-East regional qualifiers, with the national finals scheduled to hold later this year in Lagos.
