Zenith Bank/Delta Principals’ Cup: Semifinals take centre stage

The semifinals of the 2025 Zenith Bank/Delta Principals Cup football competition will take place at two centres on October 9, 2025 (today).

On September 18, 2025, the annual competition kicked off in Asaba, the Delta State capital, and now the final four teams have emerged.

The final four emerged out of over 1,000 secondary schools that started the competition from the preliminary stage.

Warri South Local Government Area, represented by Ogbe Ijoh Grammar School, are through to the last four and they will face Justice, Peace and Success Secondary School, representing Aniocha South LGA of Delta Sate. 

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The match is slated for Notre Dame College, Ozoro.

The second semifinals will see Otokutu Grammar School, representing Ughelli South LGA, take on Urhobo College, Effurun, representing Uvwie LGA, in a match slated for Government College, Ughelli.

These four semifinalists took part in the preliminaries to represent their respective Local Government Areas and also went ahead to emerge tops at the zonal qualifiers decided at various centres before the quarterfinals that took place only on Tuesday in four different centres across the state.

The CEO of Hideaplus, the organisers of the annual youth developmental football competition, Tony Pemu, said the 2025 event has been very exciting.

Pemu said: “We have seen games from the zonal and quarterfinal stage looking like the final in terms of the skills displayed and the talents exhibited. 

“In the semis we expect more responses from the players just as we expect a big final on October 16 in Asaba.”

Meanwhile, a total of 64 players have been scouted so far with the potential of moving on to greener pastures to hone their trade in the round leather game.

The players include Salah James, Divine Efenudi, Oghenevwere Johnson, Young Jeffrey, Ojobo Rejoice, Okiki Victor, Nwori Ifeanyi, Eze Destiny, and Evans Faith.

The winners of Tuesday’s semifinal matches will be through to the final of this edition, the 8th in the series, slated for the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, the Delta State capital.