Uncle Bayus Primary School and Daemm Schools, Alakuko have emerged Lagos representatives for Season Seven of the Channels National Kids Cup.
The final day of the preliminaries got off with the quarter-final.
The opening game was between defending champion Toyibat and Afolabi Yusuf’s St. Paul. Toyibat scored the first goal, St. Paul equalised from the spot in the dying minutes and the match ended 1-1 in regulation time. Toyibat won the game 4-3 via penalties to book their place in the semi-finals.
Uncle Bayus met stiff opposition in Rockford Private School but managed to hold on to a 1-0 victory to make the last four. Daemm produced an impressive 3-0 win over Hopeland. Obayemi Tobi scored a brace and Uche Nwankwo’s own-goal kept Daemm’s hopes alive in fighting for one of the ticket to the National finals.
The last quarter-final game was between Ebute-Metta Primary School and Ebute-Elefun. Last year’s losing finalist sealed their place in the semi-final with an easy 3-0 win.
About 20 minutes after the quarter-final matches ended, the semi-final matches started at the same stadium.
The semi-final games lived up to expectations. The four teams competing showed good quality and class. They knew the tickets were up for grabs and they wanted it. The first game between Daemm and Toyibat was a cracker. First half ended goalless, when the game resumed, Daemm scored. The champions did not give up. They kept on fighting till they levelled up through Toyeeb Lasisi.
With about two minutes to the end of regulation time, Toyibat was awarded a penalty. Idowu Samuel was supposed to take it but Okayi Chidi stepped up to the challenge and missed. Game ended 1-1 and went into penalty shoot-out.
Toyibat could not repeat the sort of quality they displayed in the shoot-out against St. Paul and lost 3-1 to Daemm. The champions lost out on the chance to defend the trophy they won last year. Joy for Daemm as they picked up a ticket to the national finals in May.
One more to decide who gets the remaining ticket.
Uncle Bayus and Ebute-Metta will fight for it. It was a stiff contest, but it was the debutants that showed class and went on to win 1-0. Ebute-Metta that made it to the final last year will not feature this year.
QUARTER-FINALS RESULTS
TOYIBAT 1 – 1 ST. PAUL ANGLICAN
(Toyibat won 4 – 3 on penalties)
UNCLE BAYUS 1 – 0 ROCKFORD
HOPELAND 0 – 3 DAEM
EBUTE-METTA 3 – 0 EBUTE-ELEFUN
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
DAEMM 1 – 1 TOYIBAT
(Daemm won 3 – 1 on penalties)
UNCLE BAYUS 1 – 0 EBUTE-METTA
