Fosla Academy Sweeps Maiden National Schools Football Championship Titles in Abuja

Fosla Academy, Abuja, emerged as the biggest winners at the maiden National Schools Football Championship, clinching both the boys’ and girls’ titles at the tournament’s grand finale held on Monday in Abuja.

The championship final took place at the FIFA Goal Project Pitch inside the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

In the boys’ final, goals from Ephraim Moses and Daniel Alilu secured a 2-1 victory for Fosla Academy over Brilliant Academy of Toro, Bauchi State. Victor Usman pulled one back late for Brilliant Academy, but it was not enough to prevent Fosla from lifting the inaugural title.

Fosla Academy also dominated the girls’ final, defeating Government Secondary School, Lugbe, 2-0. Salamatu Ahmed and Patricia Habila found the back of the net to seal the victory before a packed crowd.

In the third-place playoff, Parliament International School, Apo, fought back twice to edge Divine Mercy School, Asokoro, 3-2. Kelechi Onyekuru was named the boys’ Most Valuable Player after converting the decisive penalty.

Alicia Francisca of Aduvie International School claimed the girls’ Most Valuable Player award, while Sunday Mark of Divine Mercy School, Asokoro, and Patricia Habila of Fosla Academy finished as the boys’ and girls’ Golden Boot winners, respectively, with eight goals each.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Head of Competitions, Ruth David, presented the trophies and individual awards on behalf of NFF President Ibrahim Gusau.

Former NFF President and Founder of Fosla Academy, Sani Lulu, attended the closing ceremony and expressed delight over the academy’s impressive performance. He also praised the Chief Executive Officer of Kickstart Sports Foundation, Ibrahim Bello, for successfully organising the championship and promoting a high standard of school football across the country.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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