Enugu, Kano schools qualify for quarterfinals

Enugu State school sports giants, Nike Grammar School and Government Secondary School (GSS), Kwakwanso, Kano State, are among the 10 schools that have qualified for the quarterfinal of the All Nigeria Secondary Schools Football Championship, also known as Shell Cup.

The schools emerged from the zonal preliminaries held in nine cities across the country and they will now battle for semifinals tickets.

Nike Grammar School, Enugu, emerged the champions of the Owerri zone, which also had teams from Akwa Ibom, Delta and Cross River states, while GSS Kwakwanso emerged from the Katsina centre alongside Government Day Secondary School, Samaru Ibrahim, Gusau. Also in the quarterfinals are Fosla Academy Secondary School, Abuja, which won the Minna zone, and Government Secondary School, Goniri, qualifiers from the Jalingo zone at the expense of schools from Gombe, Borno and Adamawa states.

In Ilorin, Bauchi State, represented by Government (senior) Secondary School, Darazo qualified for the quarterfinals, just as Excel Education Centre, Port Harcourt, which won the Uyo zone.

Other quarterfinalists are St. Mary’s High School, Ifitedunu, Enugu State, Pakoto High School, Ifo, Ogun State and Asegun Comprehensive High School, Ibadan, Oyo State. They qualified from Ughelli, Osogbo and Akure zones respectively.

The quarterfinals have been scheduled to take place in four centers, including Katsina, Ilorin, Benin and Oshogbo from May 21 to May 24.

In Katsina centre, GSS, Kwankwaso, Kano will meet Fosla Academy Secondary School, Abuja, while Ilorin centre will host the games involving GSS Goniri, Yobe, Govt. Senior Sec. Schl, Darazo and Govt. Day Sec. Schl, Gusau.

To battle for the semifinals ticket from the Benin are Excel Education Centre, P/Harcourt, St. Mary’s High School, Ifitedunu and National Grammar School, Nike, Enugu, just as the Oshogbo centre will host the straight battle between Pakoto High School, Ifo, Ogun State and Asegun Comprehensive High School, Ibadan, Oyo State.