Hard time awaits participating schools and officials in the on-going All Nigeria Secondary School Federation championship tagged ‘NNPC/Shell Cup’, as organisers have promised to sanction erring schools and officials that flout the rules and regulation of the championship.
According to the Secretary General of the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF), organisers of the championship, Mrs. Olabisi Joseph, the body will not relent in its efforts in eradicating the use of mercenaries in the championship.
She said: “The eradication of age cheats and mercenaries in championships of this magnitude is a continuous exercise, and that is why we will not rest on our oars.
“Last year, we banned some schools from participating in the championship and also sanctioned some schools’ officials. This year will not be an exception; we will descend heavily on erring schools and officials in order to instil sanity in the championship.
“The championship is for Under-17 age category, and only players still in secondary school are eligible to participate. Anything short of that is against the rules and regulation of the championship.
“We know that it is not easy to put an end to such easily, but we will continue to do our best to get the best for the championship and achieve our aims.”
The championship, over the years, has generated interest from both public and private schools across the country, and it is expected that this year will witness an upward surge of participating schools.
Meanwhile, zonal preliminaries of the championship is billed to hold at nine different zones in the country from April 27 to May 1, while the quarter-finals will hold from May 8 to 11, and the national finals would hold at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos from May 21 to 24.
The nine zones are Group A (Osogbo), Group B (Ado-Ekiti), Group C (Benin), Group D (Enugu), Group E (Yenagoa), Group F (Lokoja), Group G (Jalingo), Group H (Kebbi) and Group I (Katsina).
To trade tackles in Group A are state champions from Ogun, Ondo, Oyo and Lagos, while champions from Kwara, Kogi, Osun and Edo will do battle in Group B.
Champions from Ekiti, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa will battle in Group C, while Group D hosts champions from Anambra, Imo, Benue and Cross River.
To do battle in Group E are Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Akwa Ibom, while in Group F are Nasarawa, Bauchi, Taraba and Plateau, with Yobe, Gombe, Adamawa and Borno to do battle in Group G.
Group H hosts Niger, Katsina, Kaduna and Abuja, while Group I hosts Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
