STATE PRELIMINARIES CONCLUDED
After a colourful State Preliminary Draw featuring qualifiers from the six educational districts of Lagos State, the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup 2017 teams took to the pitch to vie for quarter final slots in the competition.
The State Preliminary matches were played from Friday, 21 April to Thursday, 27 April 2017 at four (4) venues; Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School, Agege, Lagos Baptist College (LABASCO), Agege, St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka and Campos Stadium, Lagos Island with 16 teams in each category (Boys & Girls)
We take a look back at what has been an exciting last couple of days.
BOYS
Group A
Ijaiye Housing Estate Senior Grammar School, Ojokoro came out tops with Muslim Senior Secondary School clinching the second qualifying spot after narrowly edging-out Ajeromi Ifelodun Senior High School, Ajegunle while 2013 champions Keke High School were rooted to the bottom of the table.
Group B
Odogunyan Senior Grammar School, Ikorodu were clear winners in this group as they strolled to three wins taking maximum points leaving Ikotun Senior High School and Methodist Senior High School, Badagry to battle for the final qualification spot which the boys from Ikotun clinched by virtue of their superior goal difference.
2016 finalist Ejigbo Senior High School could not reproduce last year’s heroics as they ended their run in the competition with no points.
Group C
Estate Senior Grammar School, Mushin and Gbaja Boys Senior High School, Surulere came first and second respectively in Group C while 2015 champions Birrel Avenue Senior High School, Sabo and Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, finished third and fourth respectively.
Group D
This was by far the most tightly contested group in the State Preliminaries as Badore Community Senior High School, Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School, Agege and Ogunmodede College, Epe finished with six points while semi-finalist in 2016, Jubilee Model Senior College, Coker Orile were bottom of the log.
The boys from Badore came out tops while defending champions Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School, Agege narrowly edged their counterparts from Epe to second position to avoid what would have been the upset of the competition.
GIRLS
Group A
2nd runner-up in 2016, Sanya Senior Grammar School, Surulere breezed through the group securing maximum points leaving Lekki Community Senior High School, Oriwu Senior Model College and Ilado Community Senior High School to battle for second spot.
It was a straight fight between the two Island neighbours as they ended with the same points, goal difference, goals scored and goals conceded. Following this unusual tie, they had to be separated by the toss of coin which saw Lekki Community Senior High School claim second spot.
2015 runner-up Oriwu Senior Model College were unprepared for the battle in the group as they were anchored to the bottom of the table.
Group B
2014 Champions Government Senior College, Agege emerged group winners with Isale Eko Grammar School claiming second spot to book their place in the quarter finals. Ilupeju Senior Secondary School could not pull themselves over the line as they finished third on the log while Jubilee Model Senior College, Coker, Orile maintained bottom spot.
Group C
Group C provided the shocker of the competition as defending champion and 3-time winners of the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup, Ikotun Senior High School failed to qualify after only managing to secure one win alongside Tincan Island Senior High School, Ajegunle.
The first and second spots went to Ikorodu Senior High School and Ijaiye Housing Estate Senior Grammar School respectively.
Group D
Euba Senior Secondary School, Mushin laid down the marker by collecting maximum points leaving 2016 finalist CMS Girls Senior Secondary School, Bariga and Ayedere Ajibola Senior High School, Ikorodu in the battle for the second qualifying spot.
The girls from Ikorodu missed out on second spot to their counterpart from Bariga on goal difference in one of the tightest finishes in the girls category.
Methodist Senior High School, Badagry were left at the bottom of the table after losing all three matches.
After a gruelling state preliminary matches, qualified teams are eagerly awaiting their quarter final encounters and as always it promises to be fun-filled.
Fela is the Co-founder of MediaVision Limited .
