*In Abuja
Comptroller General (CG) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dr. Bashir Adeniyi Adewale, and the Director General (DG), National Institute for Sports (NIS), Comrade Philip Shaibu are poised for a showdown on Saturday (tomorrow) as their wards clash in the grand finale of the 2026 Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) football tournament.
The event is billed for Area 3 Arena in Abuja.
Both sports-loving p personalities have propelled their football teams to the finals of the tournament decided and will lead their agencies for trophy in the final.
NCS edged NDLEA 3-2 on penalties after regulation time ended in a 2-2 draw, to qualify for the final.
In the tense semifinal encounter, NDLEA’s Abbas Yusuf found the net in the first half to put the anti-drugs officers in front, but Customs’ Mikail Abubakar drew level just before the break.
With scores at 1-1, both teams resumed hostilities with Customs drawing the first blood via s penalty kick neatly converted by Abubakar, his second of the day and fourth in the competition.
The lead did not last long however, as an own goal by Customs goalkeeper, Charles M. Ahur blighted their effort when he diverted a long range shot into his own net at stoppage time, thus pushing the game into penalties.
The goalkeeper however, redeemed himself during the penalty shootout, stopping two of the spotkicks to defeat NDLEA 3-2.
Earlier, debutants NIS stunned NAF with a narrow 1-0 victory in another tension-soaked match.
After a barren first half, Stephen Raymond converted a penalty in the second half that proved decisive.
NIS will face NCS in Saturday’s final from 2pm.
NAF is expected to battle NDLEA for bronze by 11am while NAWOJ square up against Women Football All Stars Association (WFASA) in the women’s final at 12:30pm.
