Kwara Football Academy Secondary School Wins 14th NNPC/Shell Cup

It was amidst strong opposition from the students of National Foundation Academy Ughelli, Delta State that the Kwara Football Academy Secondary School, Ilorin came top in the final of the 2012 All Nigerian Secondary Schools Football Championship, also known as the NNPC/SHELL CUP which took place on Sunday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

It was the Kwara Football Academy (KFA) Secondary School that scored the first goal of the game through a penalty kick and it was equalized in less than twenty five minutes into the first half. KFA Secondary School scored the second goal in the first half and the goal was equalized in the second half. It was a draw till the end of the game and victory had to be decided by penalty shootout.

It was surprising how three of the National Foundation College students lost their penalty kicks consecutively thereby making the Kwara Football Academy Secondary School the winner of the game.

The NNPC/SHELL CUP was initiated in 1998 by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria and its joint venture partners, (NNPC/TEPN and Agip) to bridge the gap between football and education at the secondary school levels.

The championship has in the last fourteen years helped to discover talents who are today national assets. Among the talents discovered in the NNPC/SHELL CUP include Femi Opabunmi, Chinedu Obasi, Isaac Promise and many others.

 

 

According to the Country Chair Shell companies in Nigeria and Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria limited, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, the success of the tournament in the last fourteen years and its positive contribution to youth and football development has motivated the company’s continued commitment to the organisation of this Championship nationwide.
Being the winner of the cup, Kwara Football Academy Secondary school won the sum of N2.5 million for sport development of the school and the sum of fifty thousand naira for each player in the team. The team will also represent Nigeria in the United Kingdom Intra school competition (also known as the King’s Cup) in September.

The National Foundation College, for coming second in the competition won the sum of N1.4 million naira for football development of the school and the sum of forty five thousand naira each for each player in the team. The team will also represent Nigeria in the Intra School Sport Championship in Dubai in September 2012.

The third place team, Government Arabic College, Gwale, Kano won the sum of five hundred thousand naira for the school's football development and the sum of forty thousand naira for each player and the school is representing Nigeria at the International Schools Football Federation in Johannesburg by September 2012 while the fourth place winner, Mafoni Day Secondary School won four hundred thousand naira for their school sport development, sum of thirty five thousand naira for each player and the team is representing Nigeria at the Africa School Sport Championship in Nairobi by September 2012.