After the conclusion of the Northern Zonal playoffs of the Samuel Okwaraji Foundation national secondary schools football competition, the Memoir Cup, all is now set for the Southern Zonal finals.
The Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle in Lagos, the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri as well as the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar have been picked, and are ready for the Zonal playoffs of the competition for the South West, South South and South East regions.
These Zonal playoffs represent the second stage of the national championships after the State Finals were played across the country earlier in the year.
According to the chairman of the competition’s organising committee, Senator Osita Izunazo, the southern Zonal playoffs will take place between Tuesday, November 3 and Saturday, November 7, 2026.
Izunazo explained that the three Zonal champions that will emerge from the southern region will join the other three that had emerged from the Northern region earlier for the national finals in Lagos at a later date this month.
The technical partners of the competition, the Nigeria School Sport Federation(NSSF) have also announced their readiness for the Zonal playoffs in the south while applauding the standard of the competition.
Olabisi Joseph, President of the Nigeria School Sport Federation said the high standards, thorough and transparent systems put in place for the competition will ensure that the main objective of the competition, which is to discover football talents in secondary schools, is achieved.
“We have ensured that all the processes and systems in place for this tournament are very thorough, efficient and transparent and these standards will not drop or be lowered.
“We are ready for the Zonal playoffs in the south and they will be organised with the same standards used for the Northern region.
“I can assure you that these will also be maintained for the national finals later this month,” Joseph added.
The Memoir Cup as the Samuel Okwaraji national secondary schools football competition sponsored by First Bank is called, is organised in memory of Nigeria’s fallen football hero Samuel Okwaraji who slumped and died while on active service for the Nigerian senior men’s national football team – the Super Eagles on August 12, 1989 during a 1990 World Cup qualifying game against Angola inside the main bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
