5th January, 2014
Four teams, Lagos, Katsina, Niger and the FCT, on Sunday booked semi-finals tickets in the ongoing National Under-13 championship in Abuja.
Thirteen states – Niger, Plateau, Katsina, Kaduna, Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Bauchi, Gombe and the FCT – qualified for the championship.
Eight states participated, four states – Akwa Ibom, Edo, Anambra and Enugu – were absent, while Gombe was disqualified for fielding over-aged players.
At the end of the group matches on Sunday, Lagos topped Group A with nine points after winning all its matches.
The FCT finished as runner up of Group A with six points after losing its first match and winning the last two.
Kaduna, which had three points and Ogun with no point, were third and fourth, respectively on the Group A table.
In Group B, Niger topped the group with nine points after winning all its matches, while Katsina was runner up of the group with six points.
Plateau with three points and Bauchi with no points finished third and fourth, respectively in group B.
In the matches played today, Ogun lost 1-2 to Lagos, Niger whipped Plateau 5-1, FCT defeated Kaduna 2-1, while Katsina beat Bauchi 2-0.
In the semi-finals pairing, Lagos, winners of Group A, will lock horns with Katsina, the runners up of Group B.
Niger, Group B winners, will battle it out with FCT, the runners up of Group A.
The semi-final matches will be played on Jan. 6. The championship which kicked off on Jan. 3 is expected to end on Jan. 7.