Nigerian Football
Out Goes Federation Cup; Enters the AITEO Cup
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
For the fourth time, Nigeria’s oldest football competition has had a change of name as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Wednesday conferred the naming right of what used to be Federation Cup to its lead partner, the AITEO Group. It is now to be called ‘AITEO Cup’.
According to a press statement sent by the Media Department of the NFF to Sports Village Square, the renaming of the competition took place at the Lagos office of AITEO Group.
The press statement of the NFF was however silent on whether there will be a change of trophy.
The competition which first final match took place on November 7, 1945 started as the Governor’s Cup. Following changes in the Nigerian constitution, the Annual General Meeting of the then NFA on February 28, 1955 adopted the ‘All Nigeria Challenge Cup” as the official title of the competition.
The then General Secretary of the NFA Reginald Banham Allen, announced the new name which it bore until the first title sponsorship agreement which changed the name to Coca-Cola FA Cup in 1996.
On June 3, 2009, following the withdrawal of the title sponsors and the change of name by the football governing body from NFA to NFF, the competition changed to Federation Cup.
The press statement from the NFF disclosed that the right just acquired by AITEO will enable the company get additional asset from the NFF.
The duration of this aspect of the sponsorship is five years, similar to the main agreement (signed on 26th April 2017) on a Cost Value Arrangement and commencing from the 2017 season.
“This arrangement will see AITEO underwriting the costs of the organisation of the competition which encompasses the costs of organising the competition from the Round of 64 to the men and women’s finals, solidarity support to Football Associations of the 36 States and the FCT, expenses and indemnities of match officials, support to participating Clubs, Media, Branding/Activation and Prize Money to winners”, the NFF statement revealed..
Accordingly, for the 2017 season, the prize monies for the AITEO Cup will be N25million for the winner of the men’s competition and N10million for the winner of the women’s competition. The runner –up for the men’s competition will pocket N10million, with the runner –up for the women’s event going home with N5million. The NFF and AITEO will, in due course, unveil further details of all the benefits of the extended agreement at a press conference.
The Cost Value Arrangement of the transaction is for NFF and AITEO to, annually, decide the nature and value proposition of the AITEO Cup under the framework of the relationship, and AITEO would thus underwrite the cost as the competition’s ‘Naming Right Holder.’
The NFF team at the contract signing inside AITEO Group’s Lagos office said it was “extremely delighted” by the extended agreement, while AITEO chieftains stated “we are happy to do this for Nigeria.”
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Strategic partners of the Nigeria Football Federation, GTI Asset Management and Trust Ltd has expanded their scope of operations from fund sourcing for the Nigeria Premier League to adding the responsibility of getting the national cup competition back into its glamorous days.
The MD of the company, Abubakar Lawal at the unveiling a revamped Federation Cup which has been renamed President Federation Cup remarked that his company decided to take a bold step to support the national cup.
“I am the happiest man today, he said in the opening remark of the rebranding of the national cup through signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Sports and the NFF.
“Our company is also strategically involved in ensuring that the President Federation Cup is given necessary attention to thrive using The Nigeria Football Fund (TNFF) as our vehicle to actualise this dream.
“Therefore, it is our vision that the oldest domestic football event becomes one of the best organised football events in the world in no distant future.”
Nigerian Football
Ikenne’s Beyond Limit Football Academy top goal chart as NNL releases vital statistics
The secretariat of the Nigeria National League has released the match statistics of the four conferences of the 2024 season.
With 198 matches so far played in Conferences A and B, 426 goals were scored, with 125 home wins and 26 away wins, representing 63.1%, & 26% respectively. There were 47 draw matches, representing 23.7% of matches. 299 home goals were scored, and 127 home goals.
Beyond Limit FC scored the highest goals of 33 goals, with Stormers FC and Ekiti United conceeding the least goals of 28 goals. Tradesafe and Solution FC scored the least numbers of goals of 11 goals and Osun conceded the least numbers of goals of 8.
In group C & D, 209 goals have been scored in the 106 so far played, with 70 home wins and 14 won away representing 66. 3% and 13.1% respectively.
Teams drew 31 matches representing 29.2% of the matches played. Wikki Tourists scored the highest numbers of goals, with 23 goals, while EFCC FC conceded the least numbers of goals. They conceded 18 goals. Nasarawa United’s 8 goals conceded made them the team that conceded the lowest numbers of goals, while ABS scored the least number of goals of 5 goals.
BY TOSIN OMOJOLA, OWERRI
The uncertainty surrounding our Matchday 31 encounter against Heartland FC of Owerri, has been cleared with the game eventually slated to hold at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, the home ground of the host team
The Nigeria Premier League has given the approval to the stadium after an inspection was carried out on Wednesday afternoon.
The Oluyole Warriors have since arrived the Imo State capital and have settled down ahead of Friday’s clash which will be be shown live on cable television.
Meanwhile, the Technical Adviser of the Ibadan soccer lords, Gbenga Ogunbote, while addressing the players on arrival at their hotel, urged them not to be distracted by the development.
“I want to apologise to you on the change of venue. We got to know about it some hours ago, but be that as it may, I want us to remain focused as and get the desired results we needed”.
In the same vein, the players of the Ibadan soccer lords, said they are not in any way moved by the change of venue, expressing their readiness to get the maximum points, not minding the venue.
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