The Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) on Tuesday announced that the 9th COPA Coca-Cola Secondary School Football Tournament will kick off with 5,000 schools nationwide.
The NBC Marketing Manager, Cletus Onyebuoha , who made the disclosure at a news conference in Lagos, said the 2017 U-15 COPA Coca-Cola, tagged “Give You More’’, will kick off on April 24.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that COPA Coca-Cola is an international youth football tournament and a global celebration of football passion.
It unites more than one million teenagers in over 60 countries around the world, promoting an active lifestyle and encouraging values that are the foundation of life and sportsmanship.
It’s about team spirit, friendship and respect. The Copa Coca-Cola Tournament is more than a game.
It’s an opportunity for teens to pursue their football dream, and in the process come together to make new friends and learn what it takes to be part of a team.
Onyebuoha said: “Football enthusiast that follows the COPA Coca-Cola tournament has so much to look out for at this year’s edition.
“The competition which is now in its 9th year has contributed largely to the success of some of the participants, who are currently pursuing careers as professionals.
“At the state level, all 110,000 participants will get a COPA Coca-Cola bib; the top three teams will receive medals.
“The winning teams in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will receive a trophy and makeover of a football pitch of their choice worth N5 million’’.
Onyebuoha said that an Education Trust Fund worth N500,000 would be given to the national winner to ensure that they combined their education with sports.
“This year, the competition has been divided into three stages, the grassroots, group and the final.
“At the grassroots, interested schools in each 36 states and FCT will have to compete for a chance to represent their states at the group stage and the national,’’ Onyebuoha said.
The President of the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF), Malam Ibrahim Mohammed, urged competing schools to ensure that they presented players of eligible age.
“These children are young and as such, we should instill discipline in them, they should be registered according to the prescribed age for the tournament.
“I appreciate Coca-Cola for partnering with us all through these years; we are grateful for helping these children,’’ he said.
Also, the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, commended the Education Trust Fund.
“It’s a laudable development; there is need for these young players to get educated because they can’t play soccer forever.
“Sports remain one of the tools to address youth unrest; if all the youth in this country participate in one sport or the other, there will be peace in this country.
“They need education to give them an edge all through their adult life; we can’t thank Coca-Cola enough,’’ Dalung, represented by the Director of Grassroots Development, Ademola Are said.
An ex-international, Victor Ikpeba, urged participants to take the tournament seriously.
“This competition has produced great talents like Ronadinho of Brazil; if he didn’t take this competition seriously his talent would have faded away.
“See this tournament as an opportunity to spread your tentacles by making friends and being an all round individual,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oyo State’s Asegun Comprehensive High School won the 2016 edition of Copa Coca-Cola U-15 tournament in the boys’ category.
The victory came after Asegun defeated National Grammar School, Nike, Enugu 5-3 in a penalty shootout at the national final match played at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos. (NAN)