Zenith Bank/Delta Principals’ Cup: Holders Out As Zonal Playoffs Begins November 20

The zonal Playoffs of the 2023 Zenith Bank sponsored Delta State Principals’ Cup football competition will kick off next week’s Monday, November 20, without the defending champions College of Commerce Warri as they lose Warri South local government ticket to Essi College. 

25 schools won the final of their respective local government areas to advance to the zonal playoffs of the grassroots developmental competition.

The tournament started on October 19 in Asaba with the kick off at St Patrick College while the preliminaries also took off at various centres in the local governments. Iwere College, Koko emerged tops at the Warri North Local Government while  Essi College, Warri were champions of the Warri South LG.

Ogbe-Ijoh Government Secondary School won the ticket of the Warri South West LG just as Gods Will Mega Secondary School emerged champions of the Udu LG.

Other winners are Government College, Ughelli from the Ughelli North LG, Ewu Government School, from the Ughelli South, Umuaja Secondary School from the Ukwuani LG and Opete Secondary school, Enerehe, from Uvwie LG.

Alaka Gramma School, Ozoro will be at the zonal playoffs as the flag bearers of Isoko North while Uzure Grammar School will represent Isoko South.

The CEO of Hideaplus, organisers of the tournament, Tony Pemu, said the competition was intense at the local government stage.

“Some of the teams that lost in the LG finals were just as good as the eventual winners. It was a whole lot of fun for us all.

“Now, focus is on the zonal play offs for the 25 teams where we are going to bring out eight quarterfinalists. This will also be another round of interesting contest for all the teams still in the race,” Pemu said.

The final of the 2023 Zenith Bank/Delta Principals’ Cup will take place at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, on November 30.