FCT Under-15 football team on Thursday defeated their Nasarawa State counterparts 4-0 in the opening match of the North Central zonal championship organised by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the competition taking place at the FIFA Goal Project pitch Abuja, also saw Kwara thrash Niger 4-2 in the other Under-15 match of the day.
In the Under-13 category, Kogi boys were fantastic as they humbled their Nasarawa counterparts 3-1 on penalties after both sides ended proceeding 1-1 at regulation time, while Kwara overpowered Niger 3-1.
Yusuf Ahmed-Fresh, Chairman of the Referees Committee representing the North-Central told NAN that the competition was organised to select and nurture players that would make the national teams.
Ahmed-Fresh said that the programme tagged; “Future Eagles,’’ would see the players graduate to the cadet team and subsequently to the Flying Eagles, Dream Team and finally the Super Eagles.
“This competition has two versions, one for the Under-13 and the other for the Under-15 boys.
“Players that will be selected from this competition will form the North Central team in preparation for the zonal competition later in the year and we have put in place strategies to monitor their development,’’ he said.
The championship which is played on knockout basis ends on Sunday.
Six states in North central excluding Benue are participating in the championship.
The participating states are Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, FCT and Plateau.