Etisalat U-15 School Cup returns

After two successful seasons promoting grassroots football around the country, Nigeria’s youth-friendly telecommunications network, Etisalat has concluded plans to kick off the third season of its Under-15 School Cup football competition. The Etisalat U-15 School Cup is a national grassroots football competition designed to connect, engage and promote young football talents. 

It promotes national unity by connecting young and aspiring footballers to becoming future champions. According to the Director, Brand & Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Ogiemwanye, the third season will provide exciting prospects of building on the success of the last two editions. “Our commitment to the nation is to support and create credible platforms that can contribute to the development of the country. 

Therefore, we are committed to developing a pool of young football talents. The success of the last two editions makes it even more exciting for us,” he said. The 2016 edition will start with state competitions where various schools will compete at the state level to win a spot at the regional group stage. The state winners will compete at the regional stage where 8 teams with the highest points will qualify for the National Finals happening in Lagos in November. 

The regional group matches will kick off with a Trophy tour around the host cities of Ibadan, Ilorin, Enugu and Kaduna to enable respective participating teams and their supporters catch a glimpse of the prestigious Champions Trophy and experience the Mobile Champions Studio which is an innovative platform created to enable participants take creative pictures of themselves as well as tell their own football stories to Nigerians. The impressive trophy was inspired by other international tournaments, and it is predicated upon the belief that the competition will produce international champions in the near future. 

According to the Head, Events and Sponsorships, Modupe Thani, “the trophy has been designed to inspire our Etisalat School Cup Champions to believe in themselves and to dream of playing and winning bigger football championships as they grow their football talents and move unto professional football.” The tour also features the Etisalat Football Truck where school students will need to score goals into holes positioned on the vehicle. 

The tour promises to be exciting, engaging and very competitive. The maiden edition of the competition in 2013 was won by Keke Senior High School, Ijaiye, Lagos and the school was rewarded with N1 million cash prize and an all-expense paid trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the 2nd edition was won by Government Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State going home with the star prize of N2 million educational award and N50, 000 each to players of the winning team.