YSFON/Nigerian Navy U-14 Boys, NOWA U-17 Girls Football Championships Kick Off in Kaduna

By Samuel Ahmadu

The 21st edition of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) U-14 Boys and 13th edition of the Naval Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA) U-17 Girls Football Championships officially kicked off on Sunday at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

The week-long tournament, organized by the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, brings together teams from 18 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, showcasing young football talents from across the country.

Matches are scheduled to take place at two key venues — Ahmadu Bello Stadium and the Nigeria Police College, both in Kaduna.

The opening ceremony featured a colorful match-past parade by participating teams and was followed by the first fixture between the Kaduna and Ondo female teams, which ended in a goalless draw.

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, represented by Rear Admiral YS Idris, Director of Sports at the Naval Headquarters, delivered an address commending the long-standing partnership between YSFON and the Navy.

He stressed the success of the initiative in producing football stars who have gained national and international recognition. Ogalla reiterated the Navy’s commitment to supporting youth sports development through continued collaboration with YSFON.

Declaring the tournament open, the President of NOWA and wife of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Mrs. Ijeoma Ogalla, represented by Mrs. Victoria Bingel, encouraged participants to uphold sportsmanship and friendship throughout the competition.

Other dignitaries present at the event included Brigadier General MA Kana, representing the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army; Mr. Bartholomew Alah, representative of the Zonal Coordinator, Zone 6, National Sports Commission; and Mr. Patrick Okpavurhe, who represented the YSFON President.

Following team screenings at the Nigeria Police College on Monday, May 19, matches are expected to continue throughout the week, with the finals scheduled to hold later this weekend.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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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