Nigeria: Kaduna Wins Copa Coca-Cola

Daily Independent (Lagos)

26 June 2011

The last stop for the Copa Coca-Cola Youth Football Zonal tournament held at the weekend in Kaduna with Kaduna state winning the trophy with a 1-0 defeat of kano state team in the final. Kaduna had defeated Abuja 2-0 in the semi-final while Kano ran 2-1 better that Katsina in the second semi-final.

But in the final, a first half goal was all that Kaduna boys needed to win the tournament to the admiration of its fans. The solitary goal of the game was scored by Mohammed Yekini of Our Saviours Secondary School, Kaduna.

Coach of the Kaduna team, Abdulsalam Jere, who will accompany the zone team to the final in Lagos expressed happiness winning the zone, noting that he was more than satisfied.

Fifteen best players will be picked by the zonal coordinator, Garba Lawal, who will lead the team to Lagos for the final.

The former Super Eagles midfielder, said that scouting for the raw talent has been an exciting challenge as a lot of promising players reside in the zone.

“The most important factor in selecting teenage players is to ensure that they are trained to play as a team and are taught the ethics of discipline, team spirit and responsibility,” said Lawal.

The zonal tournament, consisting of 60 boys from Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and Abuja, took place at the crowd filled Township stadium in Kaduna on the 23rd-24th June.

Copa Coca Cola Project Manager, Femi Adelus, said “The zonal tournaments have truly been an explosion of raw talent. Kaduna indeed ‘opened up to the game’. We have had incredibly high energy and amazing turnouts of spectators and dignitaries alike. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone in all the states that participated in the Zonal tournaments either as players, parents or football loving fans and supporters of grassroots football. Let us all look forward to an even greater display of Copa Coca-Cola football action during the finals in Lagos.”

Copa Coca-Cola Youth Football Championship for Under-17 is poised to feed the talent pipeline of professional football locally and internationally, and to connect, engage and promote talents of teens and young adults, on a distinctive platform that will provide an opportunity to achieve a successful career in football.

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