U-13 football competition: 288 players, officials expected in Abuja

Alhaji Abdulbaki Ibrahim, the Deputy Chief Media Officer of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said on Friday in Abuja that the participants were from 12 finalist teams. “The 12 finalist teams are drawn from the country’s six geo-political zones and each of them is expected to arrive with 20 players and four officials,’’ he told […]

Alhaji Abdulbaki Ibrahim, the Deputy Chief Media Officer of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said on Friday in Abuja that the participants were from 12 finalist teams.

“The 12 finalist teams are drawn from the country’s six geo-political zones and each of them is expected to arrive with 20 players and four officials,’’ he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Ibrahim said the participating teams were expected to arrive at the FIFA Goal Project located in the Package B of the Abuja National Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 12.

“This is where the NFF has made accommodation arrangements for them to accommodate the 288 participants from the 12 states,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the competition’s defending champions, Kaduna State, alongside Jigawa, are  representing the North-West zone, while Akwa Ibom, which finished fourth in 2008 are with Edo from the South-South.

Imo, winners of the 2007 edition, will feature from the South-East with Enugu State, while Bauchi and Gombe States are the two finalists from the North-East zone.

Niger and Nasarawa are featuring as zonal finalists from the North-Central, while Lagos and Oyo states are zonal champions from the South-West.

Ibrahim said the draws for the final competition would be held on Saturday after the arrival of the teams, while the first match would be played at the FIFA Goal Project on Sunday.

“Other preliminary matches will be played at the training pitch of the National Stadium,’’ he said.