Hosts, Nasarawa State, officially kickstarted the highly anticipated 40th edition of the Late General Muritala Ramat Mohammed U-16 Boys’ Football Tournament on Saturday at the Lafia City Stadium, despite the unpredictable weather.
The opening ceremony which was expected to set the tone for the tournament, was unfortunately truncated by a heavy downpour of rain.
However, the football fever did not let the rain dampen the spirits of the young athletes as the host State team took to the pitch against their opponents, Team Kwara State, in their Group’s opening match.
Unfortunately, the host State team suffered a 2-4 loss to their Kwara State counterparts, even though the tournament’s early start promises excitement and fierce competition in the days to come.
Organized by the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria, YSFON, in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Government and Nasarawa State Football Association, the tournament brought together young football talents from twenty States across Nigeria to Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, and is expected to be a platform for the budding stars to showcase their skills and potentially get scouted by top clubs.
In the groupings, Nasarawa State are paired with Kwara, Plateau and Sokoto States in Group A.
Group B has FCT Abuja, Gombe and Benue States. Group C features Ondo, Kebbi, and Bauchi States, while Group D has Enugu, Kaduna, Zamfara and Borno States respectively.
Six more States joined the competition late evening after the opening ceremony and would be paired accordingly, by the Organizers.
In the day-two fixtures(Sunday, 10th August, 2025), Plateau State will tackle Sokoto State by 8am, FCT Abuja will square up against Benue State by 9am, while Ondo State will lock horns with Kebbi State by 10am.
The last fixture for the day will see Enugu State facing Kaduna State by 11am.
Only two teams will advance to the knockout stage of the one-week long tournament which will climax on 16th August.
Addressing the Press during the opening ceremony, National Technical Director of YSFON, Abdulgafar Agboola, said Organizers of the tournament promised a hitch-free and historic tournament.
“This is a tournament organized in memory of Late Nigeria Head of State, General Muritala Ramat Mohammed who was assassinated on 13th February, 1976 in a military coup.
“This tournament, which is tagged an international event, began in February 1977, and it’s an annual event that seeks to unearth hidden football potentials across Nigeria and other foreign participating countries like Ghana, Benin Republic, Niger, Norway, among others, for onward development and representation.”
The Technical Director commended Governor Abdullahi Sule and the Nasarawa State Government for accepting to host this year’s edition, having being held in Kano State for over twenty years.
“We are grateful to Governor Abdullahi Sule and his administration for accepting to host this year’s edition after over two decades that it’s been held in Kano State.
“The Governor has demonstrated that he is passionate about sports development and the stakeholders involved.
“The State is peaceful, excellent in terms of hospitality, highly serene and organised.
“We promise to give the best of us to ensure a successful and historic tournament.”
He appreciated the leadership of the Nasarawa State YSFON headed by Suleiman Usman Bako, for working round the clock with critical stakeholders to ensure a seamless event.
On his part, Chairman of YSFON, Nasarawa State, Suleiman Usman Bako, felt elated for hosting the tournament.
“I feel so happy to have this tournament hosted in Nasarawa State.
“Let me thank our National President and former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Dr. Nasiru Gawuna, for giving Nasarawa State the opportunity to host the 40th edition of the Ramat Cup.
“We are glad to be part of this historic moment. Sports remain one of the major unifying factors in our society today.
“We wholeheartedly appreciate and express our deepest gratitude to our Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, for being a caring father and making funds available to host this great tournament. “
Suleiman equally applauded the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nasarawa State, Hon. kwanta Yakubu, and the entire Ministry’s Staff, as well as State Football Association for giving huge support to the success of the event, disclosing that he would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure a successful tournament.
Chairman of the Nasarawa State Football Association, Salisu Usman Galadima, declared the tournament open with a ceremonial kick-off.