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Foremost financial institution, Guaranty Trust Bank is set to hold the finals of the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup on Thursday 19th July at the Agege Stadium, Lagos. The prestigious tournament, now in its 9th year promises to be a thrilling encounter between the four qualifying teams as they stake their claim as ultimate champions of the football competition.

Considered one of the most followed grassroots football tournaments in Secondary schools, this year’s finals will kick off with a match between the qualifying teams in the female category; IsaleEko Senior Grammar School, Lagos Island and Girls High School, Agege.

In the male category, defending champions of the competition, Ijaiye Housing Estate Senior Grammar School will face arch-rivals St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka. Both teams will meet after a thrilling encounter atthe Semi Finals in which St. Finbarr’s College romped to a 2-0 win against Egan Senior Grammar School, Alimosho,to finish top of Group B. Except for St. Finbarr’s College which finished 2nd in 2015, two out of the four finalists have won the trophy in the past.

After the face off on Thursday, winners will be rewarded with the sum of N1,000,000.00, N750,000.00 and N500,000.00 and N250,000.00 for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4thplace winners respectively in both male and female categories.

Commenting on the Finals of the 2017 GTBank Lagos State Principals Cup, SegunAgbaje, the MD/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, stated that, “We are delighted to see schools aiming for their first ever trophies in this competition; it emphasizes the growing stature of the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup as a platform for the cultivation of dreams through hard work and discipline.”

Over the years, the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup has propelled the professional careers of several talented and now renowned players like Stephen Odey, who captained his alma mater- Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School to victory in the 2012 edition of the competition and is now a player in FC Zurich. Esther Adeboye, one of the Most Valuable Players in the 2014 Competition from State High School, Alimoshoalso joined the National Female U-17 Team – The Flamingoes – that represented Nigeria at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Guaranty Trust Bank, a youth oriented brand, maintains the lead in providing support for education and sports to enable young boys and girls explore their talents and reach for their dreams. It is one of the few Nigerian financial institutions that have maintained a defined Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, most especially in sports education. The Bank actively supports in-classroom and out-of-classroom educational programmes, infrastructure development, students’ scholarship and teachers training across Africa.

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BREAKING: CAF Slams Libya $50,000 Fine, Awards Super Eagles 3 Points

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has imposed a $50,000 fine on Libya over the “inhumane treatment” inflicted on the Nigerian national team, while awarding the Super Eagles three points and three goals.

This was revealed by Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, in a post on his X handle on Saturday.

The decision follows CAF’s investigation into Libya’s maltreatment of the Super Eagles upon their arrival in the North African nation for the return leg of the African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

“CAF awards three points and three goals to Nigeria. Libya fined $50,000.

“Plane was diverted 300km from scheduled airport even when the pilot told them he was low on fuel.

“One step closer to our target AFCON 2025,” Troost-Ekong wrote.

 

More to come…

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U-17 Women’s World Cup: Flamingos Beat Dominican Republic, Face US In Quarter Finals

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With an 89th-minute late goal, Nigeria’s women’s U-17 national team, the Flamingos, beat hosts Dominican Republic early Wednesday in Santo Domingo in the ongoing 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Midfielder Shakirat Moshood collected the ball from 25 yards and launched a powerful left-footed strike at goal which went past the Dominican goalkeeper, marking her fourth in the tournament.

Earlier, 15 minutes into the game, Moshood’s attempt was ruled offside by the Video Assistant Referee, before team captain Taiwo Afolabi struck to force the Dominican goalkeeper to a save.

After half-time, the Flamingos kept piling the pressure on their opponents before Moshood found the net.

The win is the Flamingo’s third consecutive as they emerged Group A leaders, above Ecuador, hosts Dominican and New Zealand.

The win in their final group game has helped them amass a total of nine points.

The Flamingos have been in blistering form in the South American nation, winning their first two games, scoring eight goals, and conceding just one

Coach Bankole Olowokoore’s side began the tournament with an emphatic 4-1 win over New Zealand in the Group A opener at Cibao Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros and followed that up with another impressive 4-0 victory over Ecuador.

Olowokoore had expressed confidence that the girls would make Nigeria proud at the tourney, saying, “I will not change our messages to Nigerians but to thank and appreciate them for their support.

According to the X handle of the FIFA U-17 WWC, the Nigerian game is the highest-attended football match for any Dominican Republic National Team, which saw a record of 13,535 spectators.

The Flamingos will face their United States counterpart in the quarterfinal bout of the tournament.

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AFCON: CAF To Decide Libya Vs Nigeria Case Wednesday

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The Confederation of African Football will announce its decision on Wednesday regarding the “botched AFCON qualifying Group D” match between Libya and Nigeria, which was supposed to take place at “Benina Martyrs Stadium” on October 15.

According to “Libya Al-Ahrar Channel,” CAF will reveal the final decision concerning the players’ ordeal during the first leg in Nigeria, which ended 1-0 in favor of the “Super Eagles,” and the reverse fixture that would have taken place at Libya’s first all-seater stadium, with a capacity of 10,550.

The outlet also mentioned that the “Libyan Football Federation” submitted all necessary documents, with a specialized lawyer assigned to oversee the Libyan file with CAF.

A day after the canceled match, CAF removed the fixture from its calendar and announced the cancellation just hours before kick-off, referring the matter to the “Disciplinary Committee” for further consideration.

In a statement released on Monday, the “Libyan Football Federation” criticized the actions taken by the Nigerian team for refusing to play against Libya and confirmed its intent to take all legal steps to safeguard the interests of their national team.

Nigeria arrived for the match on October 14, but their flight was redirected to “Al Abraq International Airport,” which is around three hours by road from “Benghazi,” the match venue. The Libyan authorities held the Nigerian team for 17 hours, causing them trauma before they eventually returned home.

Nigeria filed a complaint with CAF, recounting their experience. Meanwhile, the “Libyan Federation” claimed that the Nigerian team was uncooperative during both the first and second legs, stating their own experience in Nigeria was far worse compared to what they went through during the first leg.

CAF described the situation involving the Nigerian team in Libya as “extremely dangerous.” CAF further stated that it had been in contact with both the “Libyan” and “Nigerian authorities” after the Nigerian team was subjected to troubling conditions at the airport for several hours.

The matter has been referred to the “Disciplinary Committee” to investigate and take appropriate measures against those who breached regulations.

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