By Adeyinka Akintunde, Lagos on June 17, 2016

Excel Education Centre, Port Harcourt has won the 2016 NNPC/Shell Cup, Thursday, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos after beating FOLSA Academy, Abuja, 3-2 at the final of the competition. Tari Joseph scored two goals for the Port Harcourt side (in 13 and 65 minutes), with Kelvin Amadi getting a third (in 32 minutes) to seal the victory for the secondary school, for the first time. Abraham Solomon scored two goals for FOLSA of Abuja, but he and his team mates could not match up a third, to bring the game to level.

For winning the NNPC/Shell Cup, Excel Academy has won for themselves 2.5 million naira (for school sports development), and 50,000 naira (for each players). The second-placed team, FOLSA Academy, Abuja won for themselves 1.4 million naira (for school sports development), and 45,000 naira (for each players).

Earlier in the day, Government Science Secondary School, Dazaro, Bauchi State won the third and fourth place match against Asegun Comprehensive High School, Ibadan, beating the team 4-3. Nuhu Usman opened scoring for GSS Dazaro, before Ismail Ahmad scored a hat-trick. The school therefore won 500,000 naira for school sports development, and 40,000 naira, (for each player). Each team went with a total of twenty players.

Coach of GSS Dazaro,Dan-Asabe Maikasuwa  said “It was not easy to get to this level, so we thank God for what we have our achieved. Our opponents had the fighting spirit. They didn’t get tired easily till the last whistle.” He blamed their loss to the semi-finals to the current Rammadan going on for muslims. For him, “it was because my players were fasting that was why they lost the semi finals.”

The leader of the delegation from Bauchi, Alhaji Ali Mohammed Ghali also said “the hard trainings and the fasting period affected us, such that we could not get to the final. The match took place at 4pm, and the boys also had a training course, which distracted them from concentrating on the semi-finals” He was thankful to the Bauchi State Government for supporting the school to this level. He also commended the NNPC/Shell and the Nigerian School Sports Commission for conducting “an ideal, excellent and commendable competition.”

At the end of the finals, some awards were presented and the award for the Highest goal scorer went to Abraham Solomon of FOLSA Academy, Abuja (with 7 goals), the award for the player of the championship went to Fatinikun Leke of Asegun Comprehensive High School, Ibadan, and the most valuable player of the 2016 NNPC/Shell Championship went to Tari Joseph of Excel Education Centre, Port Harcourt.

When Daily Sports caught up with the most valuable player, (who scored two goals in the final), Tari Joseph, he said “I feel great to be the most valuable player of the competition, and I give thanks to God. It has not been easy all the way from Abuja, but we made it”.

Former President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Alhaji Sani-Lulu Abdullahi commended the championship. For him, “this is my first time in this competition and I am impressed with what I have seen here. This is grass root football, which will build up stars that can represent Nigeria in bigger tournaments.”

It will be recalled that Rochas Foundation Shool won the 2015 NNPC/Shell Cup, beating Govenment Secondary School, Gwaki Kano by 2-0 in the final.

•Photo shows Excel Education Centre boys celebrate with the trophy.

Source Daily Sports

Posted June 17, 2016

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