Ernest Osogbue.
Fosla Academy underlined it’s reputation as one of Nigeria’s premier football academies, as its boys and girls teams, beat all comers to emerge victorious, at the just concluded National Schools Football Championship. The months long competition, which ended in grand style at Package B of the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, on Monday 29th June, 2026, had schools from across the country battling it out from the zonal level, before the grand finale at the national level.
Fosla Academy boys and girls had already made their intentions clear from the the semi finals, with resounding victories over their opponents. In the girls final, two first half goals from Salamatu Ahmed, and Patricia Habilla, were all Fosla Academy needed to overcome their opponents, Girls Secondary School, Lugbe, to emerge victorious. The boys final, was however not as straightforward. Having built up a 2-0 cushion from the first half, with goals from Moses Ephraim and Daniel Alilu, their opponents, Brilliant Academy, mounted a second half comeback that almost threatened to derail Fosla Academy’s golden day. A spectacular strike from Victor Usman, two minutes into the second half for Brilliant Academy, set the tone for a tense second half, as Brilliant Academy went in search of the all important equalizer that never came. In the end, however, Fosla Academy was able to close out the game 2-1, with resilient defending and excellent goalkeeping, before joining their female counterparts in the double victory celebration.
Sani Lulu Abdulahi, a former president of the Nigeria Football Federation NFF, and proprietor of Fosla Academy, who was on hand to witness the final, was overjoyed at the exploits of his wards, and overall organization of the event. He expressed his appreciation to the organizers, and especially, the CEO of KickStart Sports Foundation, Mr. Ibrahim Bello, for his resilience and steadfast belief in the ability of Nigerian youths. He therefore, called on other well meaning Nigerians, to support the efforts of KickStart Sports Foundation in grooming tomorrow’s football superstars.
In the third place playoff, Parliament International School, defeated Divine Mercy School 3-2 to win bronze. Sunday Mark of Divine Mercy School, with a total 8 goals in the championship, won the golden boot for boys. Also with 8 goals, Patricia Habilla of Fosla Academy, equally received the golden boot for girls.
All in all, it was an exciting two months of fun, excitement, and joy, for the participatingschools, and hopeful Super Eagles and Super Falcons players of tomorrow, with the memories set to linger in their minds for years to come. As the curtain drops on the 2026 edition of the National Schools Football Championship, it is hoped that corporate bodies and other public spirited Nigerians, would join Ibrahim Bello, and support KickStart Sports Foundation, in the quest to keep Nigerian youths physically and mentally engaged, and as well give them hope for a better tomorrow.
