BATTLE for trophy in the sixth edition of World Polio Day National para-soccer Championship in Lagos got tougher on Monday as Kano and Katsina para-soccer teams defy heavy evening rain to enter semi-finals.

The match saw Kano and Katsina defeating their Lagos and Bayelsa counterparts 2-0 and 1-0 respectively.

Both matches were played simultaneously inside Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre (known as Rowe Park) inYaba.

Abdullahi Muhammad of Kano Pillars, popularly called “Ortega”, fired first goal in the 8th minute shortly before the rain started.

The scoreline remained 1-0 untill Muritala Alhassan scored the second goal for Kano in the 36th minute to defeat the Lagos team as the rain intensified.

In another match, Tony Tubaya scored the winning loan goal for Katsina after 60 minutes dog fight against Bayelsa, a minute into the 3minutes extra time.

The Delta-Zamfara and Nasarawa-Kaduna quarter-final matches were rescheduled for Tuesday morning because of the heavy rain.

Earlier in the day, Ibrahim Hashim scored a brace for Delta state to defeat Lagos 2-1 in their preliminary encounter.

Kehinde Onitiju, Vice-President, Para-soccer Federation of Nigeria (PFN), organisers of the championship, commended Rotary International for sponsoring the competition.

“This tournament has been consistent in the last six years with the support of Rotary International.

“We at PFN, under the leadership of our President, Misbahu Didi, will continue to partner with them.

“We shall also continue to organise more competitions to further develop the game beyond Nigeria,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that final of the championship would be played on Wednesday to commemorate World Polio Day, held every Oct. 24.

-NAN

– Oct. 23, 2018 @ 08:59 GMT