After five days of intense battle in the zonal elimination series with 26 qualifiers competing for honours in eight zones and 10 centres, the quarterfinalists for the 2019 Delta State Principals Cup emerged at the weekend.

The Principals Cup football competition is a developmental tournament sponsored by Zenith after the partnership agreement with the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration. The bond revived the event only two years ago after being in limbo for over 27 years.

The quarterfinalists are Comprehensive Secondary School, Owa Model Secondary School, Boys Secondary School, Orhuwhorun Secondary School, Obule Intergrated Secondary School , Sapele , Solid Rock Foundation School, Ewghewu Government School and Ekpan Secondary School.

The quarterfinals will be decided today in four different centres and according to the pairing released by the organizing team, Comprehensive Secondary School and Owa Model Secondary School will clash at the Kwale Township Stadium while Boys Secondary School will tango with Orhuwhorun Secondary School at the Oleh Township Stadium.

At the Warri Township Stadium, Obule Integrated School and Solid Rock secondary School will compete for honours just as Otujeremi Township Stadium will host the last pairings between Uwheru Government School and Ekpan Secondary School.

Head of the organizing team, Tony Pemu, said all matches would start simultaneously at 2pm at the four centres.

Pemu said: “We are all set for the quarterfinals and we are excited that the standard is getting higher everyday. The dates and venues for the semis and final games will be determined soon after the meeting of the Main Organising Committee for the competition”.

One of the most exciting secondary school football tournaments in Africa, the GTBank Masters Cup, is set to return for its 8th season, following its opening draws, which was held on Thursday, January 17, 2019, in Victoria Island, Lagos. The tournament will feature over 30 schools and more than 40 teams who will compete for trophies in the male and female categories.

Established in 2012, the GTBank Masters Cup is organized by foremost African financial institution, Guaranty Trust Bank, as a way of extending the benefits of the Bank’s football programs to students outside the public school system.

Since its inception, the tournament has grown into one of the major platforms for discovering and developing exceptional football talents and many of its alumni are now on trials and scholarships with football clubs and academies in Nigeria and abroad.

The 7th season of the tournament, held in 2018, saw Igbobi College, Yaba and Queens College, Yaba, emerge champions in the male and female categories, respectively. This year, the route to the title in both categories promises to be even tougher with the tournament welcoming eight (8) new schools.

Commenting on the tournament, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Segun Agbaje, said; “We are delighted to organize this tournament for the eighth edition, not only because of the platform it provides for the emergence of amazing football talents, but also because we see firsthand its impact in helping young people build a healthier lifestyle at this critical stage in their lives.”

He further stated that “At GTBank, we will continue to create and invest in initiatives that bring the values of sports to school compounds to ensure that young people that are passionate about sports have the opportunity to hone their talents and build character whilst still very focused on their academics.”

Guaranty Trust Bank plc maintains a defined Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) focused on championing causes and fostering initiatives that transform lives and uplift communities. The Bank is a leading advocate of Sports Education as a major way of promoting the values of excellence and fair play whilst laying a solid foundation for the emergence of sporting talents.

Alongside the GTBank Masters Cup, the Bank organizes and sponsors several other football programs, such as the GTBank Principals Cup tournaments in Lagos and Ogun States, the GTBank Super Cup and the Players Development Programme.

GTBANK MASTERS CUP SEASON 8

GROUP TABLE

Legendary Nigerian Footballer and Olympic Gold Captain, Nwankwo Kanu is not a happy man right now after losing his football medals and several valuables.

The Atlanta ’96 Olympic gold winner has revealed how suspected vandals invaded his The Hardley Apartments situated along Waziri Ibrahim Crescent on Victoria Island, making away with his football medals, trophies, plaques and other valuable items.

The hotel has been sealed up since 2015 sequel to an alleged default in transaction between it and Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank), leading to series of litigation that is still pending at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos. The last hearing came up in November last year after which the case was adjourned till 31 January 2019.

But a shocked Kanu, who was in London for the Yuletide, learnt from relatives and business associates in Nigeria last week that the Apartments, with registration number 509102, had been occupied by some authorized persons who had also commenced renovation of the facility in disregard of the seal order and litigation, forcing him to arrive in Nigeria over the weekend to verify the claims.

“It was a rude shock to me,” Kanu, who fought back tears at what the hitherto sprawling facility had become since the renovation started, told TheCable.

“I almost couldn’t recognise the hotel as belonging to me anymore. This is the saddest day of my life as I cannot understand why this happen to me when the matter has yet to be settled in court.

“All the medals I have earned, in addition to the Olympic torch that I cherished are all gone and I don’t even know who to ask for all these prized assets.”