NFF Dangles foreign trip, as Channels Kid’s Cup begins in Lagos

No Room For Age Cheat, Say Organizers

The 8th edition of the annual Channels Kid’s Cup will kick off today in Lagos with a warning yesterday by both the organising committee and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that anyone caught cheating will face severe punishment.

The NFF has decided to play full part in the competition, which is a grassroots programme by dangling foreign trip for the best players and coaches who will emerge as the end of the tourney.

At the draws ceremony held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium yesterday, chairman of the organizing committee, Steve Judo, advised parents and Games Masters of the various schools to stop aiding their wards in age falsification, which he said, is the beginning of age cheat in Nigerian football.

Judo stated that they are planning to make next year’s edition a sub-regional tournament. “We will have schools from Ghana, Togo and Benin participating in the tourney next year,” he said.

He also stated that the tourney is purely for U-13 pupils, adding that this year’s edition would be better than last year.

Also speaking, 1st Vice President of the NFF, Seyi Akinwunmi said the concept, future, entertainment and value of the Channels Kid’s Cup attracted the football house to be part of it, just as he revealed that he has decided to stay away from the Super Eagles friendly games in France as well as the Joseph Yobo’s testimonial games because of the Channels Kid’s Cup final. He donated N50,000 to the school from Katsina State for arriving Lagos, venue of the competition first.

Primary schools from Lagos, Delta, Edo, Ogun, Anambra, Abia, Kogi, Osun, Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, Nasarawa, Kwara, Jigawa and Ekiti are those participating in the competition.