Edo wins South South Copa Coca-Cola playoff

Niger College, Benin City, which represented Edo State at the South South regional Copa Coca-Cola championship at the weekend in Port Harcourt, stood head and shoulder above their peers from Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states to win the zonal under-15 football competition for secondary schools.

To get the ticket to represent the zone in the national finals slated for Lagos, Niger College won one and drew two matches, including a goalless draw with Akwa Ibom on the first day of the competition and a 2-1 defeat of Cross River before a final day 1-1 draw with Bayelsa.

Cross River State, represented by Light Way Secondary School, Calabar, with their impressive team coordination and individual skills, were unfortunate to lose out after drawing with Bayelsa and losing to Edo, only to beat Akwa Ibom 2-1 in their last game.

Other schools that featured in the South South playoff were Government Secondary School, Odi, Bayelsa State and West Itam Secondary School, Itu, Akwa Ibom State.

The grassroots football competition, which held at the Model Secondary School, GRA Phase Three, Port Harcourt, featured secondary schools students between ages 13 and 15 years.