As part of the activities leading up to the Abuja International Carnival, scheduled for November 23-25, 2024, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has launched a government and private secondary schools football tournament. The tournament, tagged the FCT Junior Secondary School Football Tournament, will run from October 14 to October 18, 2024.
The competition will start with the Round of 16 and proceed directly to the final. Participating schools represent the Gwagwalada Area Council and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). Matches will take place at Government Day Secondary School in Gwagwalada and Government Secondary School in Tundun-Wada. The semifinals and finals will be held at the Old Parade Ground in Area 10, Garki, Abuja.
The FCT Junior Secondary School Football Tournament serves as a prelude to the Abuja International Carnival, highlighting young athletic talent while promoting the carnival’s broader mission of fostering unity, cultural preservation, and community involvement. According to the event’s brief, the tournament emphasizes the importance of sports in youth development, promoting teamwork, discipline, and healthy competition among students.
Mallam Yankee, CEO of the Carnival, noted that the tournament aims to foster youth engagement, sportsmanship, and unity among junior secondary schools, both public and private, in the FCT. During the official draw ceremony at the FCT Education Secretariat Hall in Utako, he highlighted how the event would boost sports culture and increase awareness of the upcoming carnival.
The tournament will begin with group-stage matches on October 14 across various locations, including Abaji, Kwali, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, and AMAC. The quarterfinals are set for October 15, with the semifinals on October 16, and the finals, along with the third-place match, on October 18.
Participating schools include JSS Kwali, JSS Kilankwa, JSS Bako, ADJSS Asokoro, JSS Jabi, JSS Karu, JSS Gwako, JSS Dutse Sagwari, JSS Zuba, and several others, along with select private schools from the FCT area councils.
The Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, praised the initiative, emphasizing how it will contribute to social cohesion and national pride. Mallam Yankee assured FCT residents of an exciting tournament and a spectacular carnival unlike any seen before.