FEDERATION CUP
Six-time Nigeria Federation Cup winners, Enugu Rangers eliminated!
Six-time winners Enugu Rangers have been booted out of this year’s President Federation Cup at the very first hurdle, as they lost 5-6 on penalties to Kano Pillars following 1-1 draw in regulation time at the Bwari Township Stadium, Abuja on Thursday.
Mustapha Umar scored for ‘Sai Masu Gida’ early on but Chiedozie Okorie equalized for the ‘Flying Antelopes’ in the 38th minute of the encounter. In the penalty shootout, both teams could still not be separated after the first five kicks each, leading to the session going to sudden death before the boys from Kano prevailed.
Cup holders Bendel Insurance are among the teams that have progressed to the Round of 32, after a slim 1-0 win over Stormers from Abeokuta, while Katsina United, Lobi Stars, Wikki Tourists, Warri Wolves, FC One Rocket, Kwara United and Inter Lagos took no prisoners with high-score wins over their opponents.
Former winners Shooting Stars and Enyimba barely scraped through by the skin of their teeth, needing penalty shootouts to overcome Solution FC of Anambra and Warinje FC of Bauchi respectively.
The Round of 32 is loaded with interesting fixtures, not the least a confrontation between Lobi Stars of Makurdi and Shooting Stars of Ibadan. Champions Bendel Insurance will be up against Wikki Tourists, while Gombe United will tackle El-Kanemi Warriors and Doma United take on Kano Pillars in flaming Savannah wars.
Two teams that made progress without kicking the ball, Plateau United and Sunshine Stars will be at each other’s jugular, and ambitious FC One Rocket will take their chances against two-time African champions Enyimba FC.
MEN’S ROUND OF 64 RESULTS
Bendel Insurance (Edo) 1-0 Stormers SC (Ogun)
Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) 5-0 Jr. Danburan (Katsina)
Osun United (Osun) 1-1 EFCC FC (FCT) – EFCC win 4-2 on penalties
Edel FC (Anambra) 4-0 Discovery Talent FC (Kebbi)
Zamfara United (Zamfara) 0-1 ABS FC (Kwara)
Kebbi United (Kebbi) 2-1 Ine Stars (Edo)
Akwa United (Akwa Ibom) 1-0 Cynosure FC (Ebonyi)
Mighty Jets (Plateau) 0-1 Zamfara United Feeders (Zamfara)
Gombe United (Gombe) 3-1 Karim United (Taraba)
El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno) 2-0 Adanimogo FC (Ondo)
Lobi Stars (Benue) 6-1 Delta Marine (Delta)
Shooting Stars (Oyo) 1-1 Solution FC (Anambra) – Shooting Stars win 3-2 on penalties
Ikorodu City (Lagos) 3-0 Green Berets (Kaduna)
Coal City (Enugu) 3-0 Ekiti United Feeders (Ekiti)
Beyond Limits (Ogun) 1-1 Hammola Int’l (Osun) – Hammola Int’l win 4-3 on penalties
Inter Lagos (Lagos) 6-0 May Frank (Cross River)
Warri Wolves (Delta) 5-1 Lautai FC (Jigawa)
Kwara United (Kwara) 4-1 Rovers FC (Cross River)
Abia Warriors (Abia) 4-2 Ilaji FC (Oyo)
Sporting Supreme (FCT) 3-0 PCM FC (Ebonyi)
Nasarawa United (Nasarawa) 1-0 FC Bako (Kogi)
Sokoto United (Sokoto) 2-2 Ofirima FC (Rivers) – Sokoto United win 4-1 on penalties
FC One Rocket (Akwa Ibom) 5-0 Fr. Eburuaja (Imo)
Enyimba FC (Abia) 1-1 Warinje FC (Bauchi) – Enyimba FC win 7-6 on penalties
Plateau United (Plateau) 3-0 Ekiti United (Ekiti) – W/O
Sunshine Stars (Ondo) 3-0 Jedo Academy (Sokoto) – W/O
Rivers United (Rivers) 1-0 Ikukuoma FC (Imo)
Niger Tornadoes (Niger) 3-1 Niger Tornadoes Feeders (Niger)
Katsina United (Katsina) 7-1 Dutse Strikers (Jigawa)
Bayelsa United (Bayelsa) 2-0 FC Basira (Nasarawa)
Doma United (Gombe) 3-0 Gamji Eaglets (Taraba)
Kano Pillars (Kano) 1-1 Rangers Int’l (Enugu) – Kano Pillars win 6-5 on penalties
The star match of the President Federation Cup Round of 16 is the potentially epic confrontation of Enugu Rangers and Bendel Insurance.
The history of the Nigerian National Cup is littered with the epic duels of the two who have three times contested the final matches in 1978, 1981 and recently in 2023.
They clash again four steps before the final match. The two teams were involved in two of the most memorable final matches of Nigeria’s Cup competition in its 80-year history, with honours shared in 1978 and 1981.
The Benin Arsenal tore apart the form books to shock the nation’s football fraternity by spanking Rangers 3-0 in the final in Lagos in 1978, but the Flying Antelopes somewhat repaid the compliment with a 2-0 win at the same venue in 1981.
The setting for this Round of 16 clash is also in Lagos, though a different venue. But fireworks are expected by the waterfront from two teams aspiring for continental football.
Two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC, who eliminated Cup holders El-Kanemi Warriors in the Round of 32, will take on Abakaliki FC at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.
Nasarawa United and Bayelsa United will square up to each other in the university town of Anyigba, while Warri Wolves and Wikki Tourists battle things out in the Federal Capital, Abuja.
Two great entertainers, Ikorodu City and Beyond Limits will be at each other’s jugular at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, where Solution FC will tango with Kwara United in an earlier game. Plateau United will confront Osun United in Anyigba.
Akwa United and Inter Lagos are at loggerheads in Abuja.
Round of 16 fixtures (Men) on Wednesday
- Enyimba FC (Abia) Vs Abakaliki FC (Ebonyi) – Asaba – 4pm
- Nasarawa United (Nasarawa) Vs Bayelsa United (Bayelsa) – Anyigba 10am
- Warri Wolves (Delta) Vs Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) – Area 3 Abuja – 1 pm
- Ikorodu City (Lagos) Vs Beyond Limits (Ogun) – Benin City – 4 pm
- Akwa United (Akwa Ibom) Vs Inter Lagos (Lagos) – Area 3 Abuja – 4 pm
- Solution FC (Anambra) Vs Kwara United (Kwara) – Benin City – – 10 am
- Plateau United (Plateau) Vs Osun United (Osun) – Anyigba – 1 pm
- Bendel Insurance (Edo) Vs Rangers Int’l (Enugu) – MJA Lagos – 4 pm
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BY IKENNA NWOKEDI
Nearly half of the Nigerian clubs that made it to the Round of 32 of the President Federation Cup are from the second-tier league, the Nigerian National League (NNL).
There are 15 clubs from the NNL and that has thrilled the president of the 36-club league, Godwin Enakhena, hailing the preponderance of the NNL clubs in the national cup as a positive development.
The body of club owners goes by the acronym, NALCOMA which translates to Nigeria National League Club Owners and Managers Association.
Enakhena described the dominance of the NNL clubs as an improved performance over that of the previous season.
He therefore foresees an NNL club winning the 2025 edition of the oldest football competition in Nigeria, replicating the feat of El Kanemi in last year’s edition when they outwitted Abia Warriors in the final match.
The 15 NNL clubs who made the President Federation Cup Round of 32 are Basira FC, Crown FC, Warri Wolves, Gombe United, Solution FC, Osun United, Beyond Limits and Inter Lagos. Others are Wikki Tourists, Adamawa United, Ijele FC, Abakaliki United, Zamfara United, Rovers of Calabar and Mighty Jets.
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FEDERATION CUP
President Federation Cup Round of 64 throw ups Rangers v Kano Pillars clash for the third time this season
In what is a repeat of the 2018 Federation Cup final, Kano Pillars and Enugu Rangers will clash again, but at the Round of 64 stage.
It will be the third time this season that both teams will clash having met twice in the Nigeria Premier Football League.
Incidentally, both matches were won by Kano Pillars in Enugu and Kano.
It is the only clash of NPFL clubs at the opening stage of the national finals.
In what looks like an employment of seeding, the remaining 15 NPFL clubs will not clash until the competition gets into the finals.
In the women’s category, Bayelsa Queens also must do battle with last year’s finalists Naija Ratels in the earliest stage possible in the women’s event – Round of 32.
ROUND OF 64 (MEN)
- El-Kanemi Warriors Vs Simon Ben FC
- Enyimba FC Vs El-Shama FC
- Yobe Desert Stars Vs Abakaliki FC
- Katsina United Vs Green Beret
- Nasarawa United Vs Flight FC
- Ijele FC Vs Lautau FC
- Bayelsa United Vs EFCC FC
- FC Basira Vs Atlantic FA
- Warri Wolves Vs Wilbros FC
- Shooting Stars Vs Zamfara United
- Wikki Tourists Vs Edel FC
- Rovers FC Vs Igbajo FC
- Ikorodu City Vs Sunshine U19
- Crown FC Vs NOSMAS FC
- Beyond Limit FC Vs Krusaders FC
- Rivers United Vs Barau FC
Mighty Jets Vs Imperial FC - Akwa United Vs Kebbi United
- Inter Lagos Vs Harmony FA
- Sokoto United Vs Jr. Danburan FC
- Lobi Stars Vs Discovery Talent FC
- Solution FC Vs Eagle Stars
- Kwara United Vs Cynosure FC
- Gombe United Vs Assemblies of God
- Sunshine Stars Vs FC Bako
- Plateau United Vs Ahudiyannem FC
- Osun United Vs FWC FC
- ABS FC Vs E-World
- Bendel Insurance Vs Dandidi Babes
- Adamawa United Vs Warinje Babes
- Heartland FC Vs CP Strikers
- Rangers Int’l Vs Kano Pillars
All matches will take place on Wednesday, 19th March
ROUND OF 32 (WOMEN)
- Rivers Angels Vs Moje Queens
- Gallant Queens Vs First Mahi Babes
- Remo Stars Ladies Vs Plateau United Queens
- Dannaz Ladies Vs GP World
- Delta Queens Vs Jacklyn Angels
- Ibom Angels Vs Sporting Angels
- Fortress Ladies Vs Onimarg FC
- Heartland Queens Vs Crystal Stars
- Osun Babes Vs N-Youth Ladies
- Edo Queens Vs Kada Queens
- Delta Babes Vs Mighty Jets Mata
- Adamawa Queens Vs Unification Ladies
- Sunshine Queens Vs Castmog Ladies
- Confluence Queens Vs Ahudiyannem Queens
- Nasarawa Amazons Vs Kwara Ladies
- Bayelsa Queens Vs Naija Ratels
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