Southern Preliminaries of First Bank Sam Okwaraji U-16 Secondary Schools football championship begins Wednesday

Organizers of the maiden First Bank Sam Okwaraji Secondary Schools U-16 Football Championship have announced that the preliminaries of the competition which commenced in the Northern States on Friday, June, 26, 2026 will now begin in the 17 Southern states of the country on Wednesday, July 1.

Disclosing this during a press conference Tuesday at the NUJ Secretariat, Owerri, the Imo State Capital, Chidozie Achonwa, the Secretary, organizing Committee who represented the Chairman, Senator Osita Izunaso ( Phd. OFR), explained that the preliminaries will ignite grassroots activity, revive school sports structures, and help states discover and nurture the next generation of football talent from the grassroots.

He further described the tournament as a platform to showcase talent, build school pride, and strengthen school sports programs as well as create visibility for institutions at state and national levels.

The Foundation Secretary, stated that the tournament is more than football, but national tribute.

“We are here to honor the memory of a true patriot, Sam Okwaraji; a national team player who gave his all for Nigeria and died in active service to the green-white-green on August 12, 1989.

“Through this championship, we seek to immortalize his qualities: selflessness, patriotism, academic excellence, discipline, and courage. Okwaraji was a lawyer, a scholar, and a footballer who played for love of country, not for personal gain.

“Those are the values we want our secondary school students to carry onto the pitch and into life.

According to him after the preliminaries, the state champions will proceed to the zonal championship where the best two teams from each of the six geopolitical zones will emerge and then participate in a national championship in Abuja where the two finalists will be produced.

Achonwa also used the opportunity to pay special tribute to the Okwaraji family, assuring them that their son’s sacrifice will not be in vain just as he thanked all those that have made the tournament possible.

“We pay special tribute to the Okwaraji family of Umudioka Community in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State; the family that produced this late football legend and patriot.

“Your son’s sacrifice continues to inspire a nation, and we are honored to carry his name forward.

“We commend the National Institute for Sports, led by Comrade Philip Shuaibu, for his dedication to sports education, capacity building, and technical support for grassroots development.

“Your expertise strengthens the foundation on which this championship stands. We also extend our appreciation to the Chairmen and Members of both the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Sports Development for your support and commitment to youth and sports development programmes like this.

“And to the Imo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma, thank you for your commitment to the success of this initiative and for standing with us to immortalize one of our illustrious sons.

He commended First Bank for sponsoring the competition which is being organized by Sam Okwaraji Foundation
with the active collaboration of the Nigerian School Sports Federation, the Nigeria Football Federation, and the National Sports Commission just as he commended Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, for the critical role they’re playing in giving the tournament the visibility and credibility it deserves.

The Foundation scribe reminded students that the tournament goes beyond competition, as players gain exposure to scouts, coaching education, mentorship, and the chance to balance academics with sports

” I want to advise students to take the competition serious because just as Sam Okwaraji did, it’s a pathway for discipline, teamwork, leadership, and possible scholarships.

Achonwa while stating that a strong school football base is the foundation for a stronger future Super Eagles, announced that all participating schools have been duly communicated through the State Ministries of Education and the School Sports Federations and that fixtures, venues and eligibility guidelines will be released by the respective state committees.