Okwaraji U-16 Championship Unveiled to Honour Legacy and Discover Talent

The Sam Okwaraji U-16 Secondary Schools Football Championship, also known as the Memoir Cup, has been officially unveiled as a nationwide grassroots initiative to identify and nurture young talents capable of representing Nigeria at the U-17 World Cup.

Approved by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and organised by the Samuel Okwaraji Foundation with support from First Bank of Nigeria, the competition will bring together secondary school teams from across the country.

The launch ceremony in Abuja highlighted the tournament’s dual purpose: to immortalise the legacy of the late Super Eagles midfielder Samuel Okwaraji and to provide a structured pathway for youth development.

The tournament will kick off on May 16, 2026, exactly 37 years after Okwaraji’s passing while on national duty.

Zonal preliminaries will be held across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, culminating in a grand finale in Abuja featuring the top 12 school teams.

Founder of the initiative, Senator Osita Izunaso, assured that strict integrity standards, including age verification and proper officiating, will be enforced.

Awards will recognise outstanding performances, including best player, top scorer, and best goalkeeper, alongside honours for integrity and sportsmanship.

Director General of the National Institute for Sports, Philip Shaibu, noted that the competition honours a national hero and inspires young Nigerians to balance academics with athletics.

‘You cannot have someone like Samuel Okwaraji as a reference point and still be searching for role models in Nigerian sports,’ he said.