Niger State Governor's Cup Gets December 12 Kick Off Date
By Abubakar Hassan
Niger State Football Association (NSFA) has conducted the draws for the 2021 edition of Niger State inter-local government football competition, tagged "Niger Governor's Cup," to be competed by teams representing the 25 local government areas in the state.
Declaring the ceremony of the draws open, the state Director of Sports, Alh. Baba Sheshi Katcha said the state Governor's Cup was the highest grassroot football development activity of the state FA and aplouded the FA for sustaining it.
He said sports generally and football in particular inculcate the culture of discipline, togetherness and team work among the youths, adding that the essence of organizing the Governor's Cup was to promote and encourage unity among the participants, as well as to discover hidden talents that will do the state and nation proud later in life.
Alh. Baba Sheshi urged all the participating teams to be disciplined and exhibit the highest spirit of sportsmanship, as well as to play by the rules of the game and guidelines of the competition, and to also observe all the protocols of the Covid-19, especially with the emergence of a new variant, the Omicron variant.
He urged the state FA to continue to sustain the tempo of the Governor's Cup and assured that the state ministry of sports and youths development will accord the FA every support and assistance needed for the success of the championship.
The State Director of Sports also commended the leadership style of the state FA Chairman, Comrade Ahmed Yusuf Fresh for carrying members of the state FA and other stakeholders along in the affairs of the round leather game in the state, and also congratulated members of the state FA for being one family.
Similarly, the Director of Sports in the state ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mal. Habib Mohammed emphasized on discipline, saying discipline can take someone to where he never imagined and indiscipline takes one to nowhere.
On his part, the first vice Chairman of NSFA who is equally the Chairman of the organizing and disciplinary committee of the state FA, Alh. Yabagi Baba disclosed that the arrival date is 11 December and the technical meeting where details of the competition will be discussed will take place same day at House 7 Hotel extension, by 8:00pm.
He revealed that the ancient city of Bida will host the competition and the two pitches at the Federal Polytechnic, the Police field and the Bida Township Stadium will be use for the preliminary matches.
The NSFA Vice Chairman also informed the local government sports Secretaries present at the draws that the state FA will give financial support to all the participating local government as subsidy to augument what they got from their respective local government council Leadership.
He disclosed that one team will qualify for the quarter finals stage from each group and also warned that they will not tolerate any act of indiscipline from any of the participating teams, saying any team that is reported by the centre coordinator for any unsportsman-like conduct will be sanction outrightly.
On eligibility, the state FA said any player that have participated in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL) and the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) in the last three years is not eligible to participate in the inter local government competition.
The Secretary of the state Referees Council, Mal. Mohammed Ismaila She informed the gathering that the Referees were fully ready for the competition, and that the state has about 50 grade one referees and they will be engage to handle all the matches of the tournament, assuring that they will do thier best to provide the best of officiating.
Teams from the 25 local government areas of the state are expected to participate in the championship. Suleja Local Government team won the last edition of the Governor's Cup hosted by Kontagora Local Government.
