The race for honours in the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) U-14 Boys’ Cup has reached the semi-final stage, with Edo, Abia, Anambra and Kaduna emerging as the four surviving teams after a keenly contested quarter-final round in Umuahia, Abia State.
Edo secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Ekiti to book its place in the last four, while hosts Abia produced one of the most convincing results of the quarter-finals, defeating Benue 3–0.
Anambra were equally impressive, recording a commanding 3–0 victory over Ebonyi, while Kaduna completed the semi-final line-up with a 2–0 win over Delta.
The semi-final fixtures will see Edo face Anambra, while Abia take on Kaduna, with the winners advancing to Sunday’s final.
The Nigerian Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA) U-17 Girls’ Cup is also approaching its decisive stage, with Abia facing Cross River in the first semi-final and Ondo battling Rivers in the second.
The semi-final matches are scheduled for tomorrow, with the finals of both the CNS U-14 Boys’ Cup and NOWA U-17 Girls’ Cup billed for Sunday.
Beyond the excitement of competition and the pursuit of trophies, the CNS and NOWA Cups provide an important platform for grassroots football development and youth empowerment.
The tournaments bring together young footballers from different parts of Nigeria, giving them the opportunity to compete against their peers, gain valuable match experience and develop the discipline required for progression in the sport.
For the U-14 boys in particular, the CNS Cup provides an avenue for early identification and nurturing of emerging talents, while the NOWA U-17 Girls’ Cup contributes to the continued growth of women’s and girls’ football, providing young female players with competitive exposure at a critical stage of their development.
The competitions also promote unity, friendship and national integration, as players and officials from different states interact and compete in an atmosphere of sportsmanship.
With the semi-finals now set, attention turns to the final four in both competitions as the young players seek to take the final steps towards becoming champions of the 2026 CNS and NOWA Cups.
