The race for the quarter-finals of the 2026 Plateau State Governor’s Cup is beginning to take shape, with Shendam and Riyom Local Government football teams becoming the first sides to secure their places in the last eight.

Both teams have won their opening two matches, making them the earliest qualifiers from the group stage.

SHENDAM SET THE PACE IN GROUP B

Shendam made their intentions clear from the opening game, defeating Jos East 2-1 before producing another impressive result against Bassa.

Their 3-1 victory over Bassa on Wednesday took their points tally to six and secured top spot in Group B with a game still to play.

The 2025 champions are therefore through to the quarter-finals and will complete their group campaign against Barkin Ladi today.

RIYOM SEND 2023 CHAMPIONS MANGU OUT

Riyom have also booked their place in the quarter-finals after maintaining a perfect record in Group C.

They began with a convincing 4-1 victory over Qua’an Pan before following it up with a 2-1 win against Mangu.

The result brought an early end to Mangu’s campaign, with the 2023 champions suffering defeats in both of their opening matches.

Mangu, who were also runners-up in the last edition, now have no chance of progressing from the group.

KANKÉ AND KANAM TURN UP THE HEAT

Group A and the five-team Group D have also produced significant developments.

Kanke continued their impressive scoring form with a 2-0 victory over Jos North, who entered the competition as the 2024 champions. The result moved Kanke to six points at the top of Group A.

Kanam also responded strongly after their opening-day defeat, defeating defending champions Bokkos 2-1 to keep their qualification hopes alive.

In Group D, hosts Jos South currently lead the five-team group with six points.

With the group stage reaching its decisive phase, several teams will now have little room for error as they battle for the remaining quarter-final places.

TODAY’S GOVERNOR’S CUP FIXTURES

Eight matches are scheduled across three venues today as the competition continues.

Bukuru Mini Stadium

Bassa LG vs Jos East LG — 10am
Bokkos LG vs Kanke LG — 12pm
Mangu LG vs Qua’an Pan LG — 1pm

DU Stadium

Shendam LG vs Barkin Ladi LG — 10am
Kanam LG vs Jos North LG — 12pm
Riyom LG vs Pankshin LG — 2pm

Rantya Field

Langtang South LG vs Langtang North LG — 12pm
Mikang LG vs Wase LG — 2pm

With Shendam and Riyom already through, attention now shifts to the teams still fighting to join them in the quarter-finals.