Aba: The Nwankwo Kanu’s second edition of the Under-19 Football Tournament kicked off on Friday in Aba, with three matches played on the opening day. The tournament, organised by the Enyimba Sporting Director, Ifeanyi Ekwueme, aims to discover talents for the clubs, having started this initiative in 2024.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, six teams competed for supremacy inside the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, on Friday. The competition features two centres, Aba and Owerri, with the winners from each centre set to meet in the grand finale at the Enyimba International Stadium.
The teams participating in the Aba centre include Enyimba FC Under-17, Ngwa United FC, and Aba Madrid FC, all hailing from Aba. Additionally, Petson Academy and Okwu United from Umuahia are part of the group. The defending champions, Apex Crane FC from Enugu, complete the lineup of six teams. They secured a victory against Enyimba’s Under-17 with a single goal in the first match of the day.
In other results from the opening day, Aba Madrid FC drew 1-1 with Okwu United FC, and Ngwa United played out a goalless draw against Petson Academy in the last match of the day. Coach Isaac Loute of Apex Crane FC, who formerly played for Enugu Rangers, praised the players and expressed confidence that the competition would fulfill its purpose of discovering talents.
NAN gathered from the Enyimba media that matches would continue on June 16 inside the Enyimba International Stadium, beginning at 9 am.