Students compete in First Bank and SOF football tournament

The first-ever First Bank and Samuel Okwaraji Foundation National Secondary Schools Football Championship, known as the Memoir Cup, has kicked off in several states across Nigeria. The organizers hope this tournament will become a yearly event in Nigeria’s football scene.

This competition is being held in partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation and the Nigeria School Sports Federation. It has three stages. Currently, state championships are taking place in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The winners from these states will move on to zonal play-offs. The zonal champions will then meet in a national final to compete for the top prize.

Senator Osita Izunazo, who chairs the tournament’s steering committee, shared that the Samuel Okwaraji Foundation was created to honor the late Nigerian football star Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji. He tragically collapsed and died while playing for the Super Eagles on August 12, 1989, during a World Cup qualifier against Angola at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

Izunazo mentioned that the foundation aims to create a structured way to find young football talents in secondary schools throughout the country. This effort is part of a broader push to develop grassroots football through well-organized school competitions.

He praised First Bank, Nigeria’s top financial institution, for teaming up with the foundation. This partnership is seen as key to making sure the tournament reaches every state in Nigeria.

The tournament is set to become a regular part of Nigeria's football calendar. Organizers believe it will help discover and nurture the next generation of football stars starting from the grassroots level.