FEDERATION CUP
Ahead of Federation Cup final match, where is the original Governor’s Cup trophy?
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The final match of the 2024 President Federation Cup holds this Saturday.
Before now, there had been 78 cup final matches and there have been change of trophies eight times.
The pertinent question: “Where are the previous eight trophies, especially the original one donated by in 1945 by the then Governor-General of Nigeria, Sir Arthur Richards?”
The trophies should be part of the archival materials of Nigerian football. The original trophy was last presented on January 31, 1970, to Ibadan Lions.
The Nigeria national cup trophies across the ages: 1945, 1970, 1979, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2006, 2009
It was a belated final match for the 1969 competition. When the trophy was phased out nine months later for the 1970 competition which incidentally was the silver jubilee edition, Ibadan made a passionate plea to be allowed to have it for keeps as the last winner.
The then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) turned down the proposal. Where then is the trophy? This should be an archival material, which should have appreciated in value and should be worth millions of naira now.
The original Governor’s Cup is not the only trophy missing. Where is the Nnamdi Azikiwe Cup for competition between Ghana and Nigeria and the Tafawa Balewa Cup for the competition between Nigeria and Guinea.
Both trophies were presented in 1963. Nigeria’s first ever trophy was the Jalco Cup won after a defeat of Ghana (then Gold Coast) in 1951. It was won for keeps by Ghana in 1959 and a new Kwame Nkrumah Cup was presented.
Enquiries with the Ghana FA also revealed that the trophy could not be traced.
The JALCO Cup, Nigeria’s first international silverware in October 1951
Perhaps, replicas of such trophies could be made for archival purposes. NFF could approach the Ghana FA to make a replica of the Jalco Cup and have it as an archival material – being Nigeria’s first ever cup victory. History is an important aspect of human endeavour.
A body without history will not be able to know its past and evaluate its present to be able to project the future. There should be trophy shelves in the headquarters of the NFF harbouring the vast memories of Nigeria’s rich past.
FEDERATION CUP
Rivers Angels Crowned 2025 Female Federation Cup Champions After Penalty Shootout Thriller
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
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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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.
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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