Semi-final matches in the under-17 NOWA girls competition holding alongside the 17th edition of Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) football competition will be played today in Ibadan.
The National Organising Secretary of the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), organisers of the competition, Abdulrasaq Usman, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday.
“The two matches, which will be played in the main bowl of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan, will see hosts Oyo State facing Kwara at 8 a.m., and Rivers taking on Edo at 9.30 a.m.,’’ he said.
Usman to newsmen that Oyo qualified for this stage of the competition after topping Group A with seven points from three games, with a +8 goals difference.
He added that Edo also qualified after placing second in Group A with seven points also, but a +3 goals difference.
Tidesports reports that the under-17 NOWA (Naval Officers Wives Association) girls competition is the female version of the CNS competition (NOWA), with the under-14 boys competition being the male version.
“Oyo State won two games and drew one, after beating Nigerian Army 7-0, Ekiti 1-0 and drawing goalless with Edo. Edo also beat Ekiti 1-0 and Nigerian Army 2-0.
“Ekiti finished third from that group after only one win, winning 2-0 against the Nigerian Army side which finished last in the group,’’ the YSFON official stated.
Usman disclosed further that Rivers topped Group B with seven points, and pushed Kwara, who also have seven points, into second position on account of goals difference.
“Rivers beat Osun 3-0, Nigerian Navy 6-0 and drew goalless with Kwara, for a +9 goals difference, while Kwara who beat Nigerian Navy 6-0 and and Osun 2-1 had a +7 goals difference.
“Osun were third after just one win, after beating Nigerian Navy 6-0 also, and the Nigerian Navy side placed last after no win and a -18 goals difference,’’ he said.
In the under-14 boys competition, where the quarter-final matches were played on Thursday at the same venue, 13 teams participated in the group stage.
The eight quarter-finalists were Rivers and Oyo state from Group A, Kaduna state and Ekiti from Group B, Bauchi state and FCT from Group C and Kwara and Kogi from Group D.
Semi-final matches in the competition will also hold on Friday, immediately after the girls competition’s semi-finals.
The two competitions, which began on Sunday with a colourful opening ceremony and has teams from 25 states as a whole participating, are being organised by YSFON.