The zonal qualifiers of the 2026 FirstBank/Samuel Okwaraji Foundation Under-16 National All Secondary Schools Championship will kick off on September 19, with teams from across Nigeria set to battle for places at the national finals.

The Northern zonal qualifiers will run from September 19 to 24, while the Southern zonal competition is scheduled for September 25 to 30.

The championship, organised by the Samuel Okwaraji Foundation in collaboration with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF), is sponsored by FirstBank under its First@Sports initiative. The Foundation’s Steering Committee is chaired by Senator Osita Izunaso.  

The zonal phase follows the state elimination series conducted between June 26 and July 5, with champions from the participating states progressing to the next stage.

For the Northern qualifiers, teams will converge on three centres — Abuja, Kano and Bauchi — while the Southern competition will be staged in Lagos, Asaba and Owerri.  

The tournament has attracted secondary schools from across the country as part of efforts to strengthen the grassroots football development pathway and provide young players with opportunities to showcase their abilities in a competitive environment.

Organisers said the earlier stages have already produced several promising talents, with outstanding players expected to be recommended to relevant football authorities and development programmes for further exposure.

The competition is exclusively designed for secondary school players and seeks to combine football development with education, discipline, healthy competition and national integration.

The championship also carries a strong historical significance as it is being staged in honour of late Nigerian footballer Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji, who died on August 12, 1989, while representing Nigeria in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Angola at the National Stadium in Lagos.  

The organisers said the tournament is intended not only to preserve Okwaraji’s legacy but also to use football as a vehicle for youth development and talent discovery.

The zonal qualifiers will ultimately determine the teams that progress to the national finals in Abuja, where the country’s best-performing school sides will compete for the championship.  

With the Northern and Southern phases now scheduled, attention will turn to the participating schools as the competition enters a decisive stage in its maiden edition.