The Borno State Under-17 Football Tournament gears up for its knockout stage as sixteen teams prepare to battle it out for glory. 
 
Following a well-run group stage overseen by young referees, the competition, organised by the Borno State Sports Council, successfully whittled down the initial 32 teams to the best sixteen. 
 
With the aim of selecting talented players to represent Borno in upcoming tournaments, the group stage concluded.
 
The knockout matches are slated to take place on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 
 
To ensure a timely conclusion, Acting Technical Director Innocent Michael Umoru announced after the successful screening exercise on Tuesday, that the knockout round matches will be played at the Metro Police Barracks football field and the Nigerian Police College football field. 
 
Umoru expressed his appreciation for the support provided by the Honourable Commissioner for the Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Sports, Comrade Saiina Buba, in making the tournament a success.
 
The 16 remaining teams are brimming with excitement, eager to showcase their skills and vie for a spot in the next round. Several talented players have already been identified and will begin training after the competition wraps up.