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By Monica Iheakam
No fewer than 32 public, private and faith-based schools from six educational districts will participate in the Lagos State Principals’ Cup competition when hostilities begin.
The Principals’ Cup rebirth is part of the re-activated critical football components in Lagos State under the leadership of the FA chairman Fouad Oki.
Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference Tuesday, Principal Cup Competition chairman, Hon Razak Ajala said, apart from helping in identifying and nurturing budding talents, “the competition also promotes the core values of excellence and competition in the participating students.”
According to Ajala, the tournament is aimed at engaging the students through sports and also creating an avenue for the discovery of young talented footballers for the future and is not restricted to public schools alone as private and faith based schools are joined to key into the tournament.
24 schools from public schools, 8 from private and faith based schools that qualify from the play off stage, will form the 32 teams that will trade tackles in the junior and senior cadre for the grand prize.
In his remarks, the Director General Lagos State Sports Commission, Oluwatoyin Gafaar Bolowotan, expressed excitement on the rebirth of the Principals’ Cup in the state, adding that the tournament as a grassroots developmental programme has produced stars for the nation.
Some of the former internationals, who honed their skills from principals’ Cup and later played for the country include Henry Nwosu, the late Stephen Keshi (St. Finbarr’s College), Tajudeen Disu, Dosu Joseph (Igbobi College), Tarilla Okorowanta, Franklin Howard and Richard Owubokiri (St. Gregory’s College)
Other great players that graced the competition are Paul Okoku, Raymond King (St. Finbarr’s College), Wakili Oyenuga and the Olukanni brothers (Segun and Femi), who went to C.M.S Grammar School.
