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FEDERATION CUP

For the second time, Stephen Keshi Stadium hosts Federation Cup

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As it was in 2018, the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba will again host the final match Federation Cup this year on Thursday, 15th June 2023.

The day will begin with the women’s final, between Cup holders Bayelsa Queens and multi-titlists Rivers Angels, which is billed to commence at 2pm. The men’s final, between 1978 champions Bendel Insurance of Benin and multi-titlists Rangers International of Enugu, will kick off at 5pm.

Football administrators, promoters, stakeholders and fans are already looking forward to one of the best finals in both men’s and women’s versions, with Rivers Angels and Bayelsa Queens the two teams that have represented Nigeria in the nascent CAF Women’s Champions League competitions – which underscores their strength on the home front.

Bayelsa Queens are the defending champions of the competition, having overwhelmed FC Robo Queens of Lagos in the final of the 2021 competition at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

The ingredients are there for a fierce contest in the men’s final, with Bendel Insurance and Enugu Rangers having contested two of the most memorable finals in the history of the men’s competition.

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In what amounted to a stunning result that year, leaving bookmakers holding the short end of the stick, ‘Benin Arsenal’ dismantled the much-feared Enugu Rangers 3-0 in the 1978 final at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Peter Egharevba scored the first goal through a long range free-kick that silenced the vociferous fans of the ‘Flying Antelopes’.

Three years down the line, Rangers exacted their revenge, with the peerless ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu leading the orchestra from the back as the all-white clad boys from Coal City won 2-0 with goals from Okwuchukwu Obiora and Ifeanyi Onyedika on a sunny afternoon.

Bendel Insurance have been in flaming form this season, unbeaten in the abridged Nigeria Premier Football League season and posting credible performances everywhere. Rangers International were on the back foot for the larger part of the first half of the season but picked up in the second stanza, and are sure to give their all in the final of a competition in which they love to soar.   

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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FEDERATION CUP

Rivers Angels Crowned 2025 Female Federation Cup Champions After Penalty Shootout Thriller

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June 28, 2025

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Rivers Angels have clinched the 2025 Female Federation Cup title following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Nasarawa Amazons at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos.

The pulsating final lived up to expectations, ending 2-2 in regulation time after both sides traded goals in a fiercely contested encounter. With no breakthrough in added time, the match proceeded to penalties, where Rivers Angels prevailed 4-2.

This latest triumph reinforces the Port Harcourt-based club’s dominance in Nigerian women’s football. Already one of the most decorated teams in the country, Rivers Angels have now added yet another prestigious trophy to their ever-growing silverware collection.

Their resilience and composure under pressure once again highlight why they remain a benchmark in the domestic women’s game

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FEDERATION CUP

Kwara United Clinch Historic First Title as President Federation Cup Final Goes to Penalties for the 18th time

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June 28, 2025

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For the 18th time in history, Nigeria’s national cup final was decided by the lottery of penalties, and on Saturday in Lagos, it was Kwara United who emerged victorious, claiming their first-ever major trophy.

The President Federation Cup final between Kwara United and Abakaliki FC ended goalless after regulation time at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, prompting a shootout to determine the 2024 champion. Kwara United triumphed 4-3 in the tense penalty decider.

This latest penalty shootout marked the 18th time since 1983 that the cup final has gone down to spot kicks. The first such instance was 41 years ago when Enugu Rangers edged DIC Bees of Kaduna 5-4 after a 0-0 draw.

Kwara United’s triumph writes them into Nigerian football history as the 33rd different club to win the country’s oldest football competition, previously known as the Challenge Cup and later the FA Cup.

With the victory, Kwara United also secured a continental ticket and will join Abia Warriors in representing Nigeria in the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup.

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FEDERATION CUP

Governors, Dignitaries Storm Lagos for President Federation Cup Final

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June 28, 2025

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NFF President Gusau presenting the men’s trophy to the captain of El-Kanemi Warriors after last year’s final.

A rich blend of political heavyweights, football stakeholders, and entertainment stars will converge on the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos, this Saturday for the grand finale of the 2024 President Federation Cup.

In a throwback to the competition’s original identity as the “Governor’s Cup” in 1945, no fewer than four State Governors will grace the final, which pits surprise package Abakaliki FC of Ebonyi State against top-tier Kwara United.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos will serve as host, welcoming his counterparts — Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, and Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd) — to the historic venue.

Also expected at the event are high-ranking government functionaries, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Seyi Tinubu; the President’s Senior Special Adviser on Grassroots Sports Development, Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye; and other prominent figures in the Nigerian political and sports landscape.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President and WAFU B boss, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, will lead the football governing body’s Executive Committee and Management to the event, while Alhaji Abubakar Lawal will head the delegation from GTI Asset Management, strategic partners of the NFF.

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The Lagos State Football Association and the Lagos State Sports Commission will also have a strong presence, with several members of the State Cabinet scheduled to attend. Football greats, including former WAFU President Chief Jonathan Ogufere and sports journalism icon Segun Adenuga, have also confirmed their attendance.

As part of the celebration of Nigeria’s football heritage, the Lagos FA will honour Pa Biliaminu Thanni, the oldest living winner of Nigeria’s national cup competition.

Saturday’s spectacle will kick off with the women’s final at 1 p.m., featuring defending champions Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt against Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia. The men’s final between Abakaliki FC and Kwara United follows at 4 p.m.

The Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly known as King George V Stadium, is steeped in history. It hosted the inaugural national cup final in 1945 and remained the sole venue until 1972 when the final had to be replayed in Ibadan after a 2-2 draw between Bendel Insurance and Mighty Jets.

This year’s final promises to be a nostalgic yet contemporary celebration of Nigerian football, enriched by the presence of key political figures and icons of the game.

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