The race for the finals of the Chief of the Naval Staff Under-14 Boys and the Naval Officers’ Wives Association Under-17 Girls Football Championships intensified following the conclusion of the quarterfinal and semifinal matches in Kaduna.

In the CNS Under-14 Boys category, host team Kaduna State secured their place in the semifinals with a convincing two-nil victory over Kogi. Enugu also booked a semifinal spot after edging past Kebbi by one goal to nil. Kwara State were in dominant form, thrashing Bauchi by four goals to nil, while Bayelsa edged Niger by a lone goal to complete the semifinal lineup.

The semifinal fixtures are scheduled to take place on Friday, the twenty-third of May, twenty twenty-five, at the Nigeria Police College pitch in Kaduna. The first semifinal will see Kaduna take on Kwara at nine o’clock in the morning, while Enugu will face Bayelsa at ten o’clock in the morning. Both matches will be played on Pitch B.

In the NOWA Under-17 Girls category, the semifinal matches were equally thrilling. Ondo State advanced to the final after defeating Plateau by two goals to one, while Enugu continued their fine form with a narrow one-nil win over Kaduna.

As the championships, jointly organised by the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Navy, approach their climax, the stage is now set for an exciting finale in one of the nation’s most prestigious youth football tournaments.