Shock results continue to trail state finals in the on-going All Nigeria Secondary Schools Football Championship, tagged “NNPC/Shell Cup”.
In some of the finals already decided, Calvary International School defeated Archdeacon Brown Education Centre 5-1 to emerge Rivers State champions, while in Enugu State, National Grammar School, Nike, defeated Purple Krown College, Enugu, 4-2 on penalties, after the match ended goalless, to lift the trophy.
In Nasarawa State, Government Secondary School, Keffi South, defeated Government Secondary School, Keana, 2-1 to emerge winners, while Ibeku High School, Umuahia, defeated Marist Juniorate Secondary School, Uturu, 3-1 to emerge Abia State champions.
In Kebbi State, Army Day Secondary School, Birnin-Kebbi, bashed Government Day Secondary School, Gwadangaji, 2-0 to emerge winners, just as Government Secondary School, Gwale, defeated MBA Secondary School 3-1 to win Kano State final.
Oro Grammar School, Oro, bashed Government Secondary School, Bacita 4-0 to emerge winners of Kwara State final, while Government Secondary School, Kazaure, defeated GUSS, Kazaure, 4-1 to emerge Jigawa State champions.
In Benue, Government Secondary School, Gboko, defeated NKST Secondary School, Adikpo, 5-3 on penalties after tie ended 1-1 in duration time.
Tournament Director, Shola Akinwale, said they are still expecting results from other states who are yet to play their finals.
He said: “We are still expecting results from more states, as the finals have not been concluded. Once we get the full state finals results, we will then proceed to the next stage of the championship, which is the zonal preliminaries.
“But so far, we are impressed with the situation of things from the states which have hosted their finals and we are still within the timeframe.”
Secretary-General of the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF), organisers of the championship, Mrs. Olabisi Joseph, collaborated Akinwale and assured that the body would do everything best possible to improve on the championship.
Meanwhile, zonal preliminaries of the championship have been billed to hold at nine different zones in the country from April 27 to May 1, while the quarterfinals would 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 City), 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 state 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.