NNPC-Shell Cup: Zonal preliminaries start

Organisers celebrate Uzoenyi, Akinjide

The zonal preliminaries of the 17th edition of the NNPC-Shell Cup for Nigerian secondary schools sponsored by the Shell Petroleum Development Company Joint Venture starts on Monday (today). A total of 27 schools that emerged as champions from the state finals are
expected to compete for honours in nine zones across the nation.
According to the Nigerian School Sports Federation, organisers of the event, the zonal preliminaries take place between April 27 and May 1. The quarterfinals are scheduled to hold from May 8 while the semifinal and the final matches are slated for May 22 and 24 respectively at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. The NNPC-Shell Cup tournament has created a platform for the discovery of new football talents some of whom have subsequently played for the Nigerian national team at all levels.
“Every new edition comes with new excitement to help our young talents blend their academic pursuit with their passion,” said SPDC’s Sustainable Development and Community Relations Manager, Mr. Igo Weli. He added that the international exposure of team coaches and the players to foreign technical crew from the renowned Feyenoord Football Academy of the Netherlands was meant to raise the tournament’s standard.
According to Weli, Super Eagles player Ejike Uzoenyi who was the most valuable player at the 2013 CHAN and Idowu Akinjide who was a member of the victorious Golden Eaglets that won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates are both products of the NNPCShell Cup tournament.