FEDERATION CUP
Enyimba in another crunchy duel as Federation Cup enters Round of 32
Four time Federation Cup winners, Enyimba have been handed another potentially tough fixture as the 2023 Federation Cup enters the Round of 32.
The Aba Elephants had survived a Premier League side, Rivers United in the Round of 64 and again still have another Premier League side, Plateau United to face.
Plateau United side broke the jinx that apparently afflicted Jos in the national cup when they won the then FA Cup in 1999. Twice in 1993 and 1998, they were runners up.
The Enyimba – Plateau United duel will hold on Wednesday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.
At the NFF/FIFA Goal Project in Abuja, multi-titlists Rangers International of Enugu will do battle with Kano Pillars, while the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano plays host to the potentially-explosive encounter between Mighty Jets of Jos and Gombe United FC.
A total of 16 matches will be disputed in the men’s category, all scheduled for Wednesday, while seven matches will be played in the women’s competition with Bayelsa Queens having reached the last eight without kicking a ball, following the unfortunate accident involving opponents Dannaz Ladies.
In Lokoja, Nasarawa Amazons – one of the establishment – will clash with Naija Ratels of FCT in a match slated for Thursday as the six other matches in the women’s competition.
FC Robo Queens of Lagos will make it a date with Royal Queens of Delta State in Awka while Rivers Angels are up against Osun Babes in Warri.
FEDERATION CUP: ROUND OF 32 FIXTURES (MEN)
- Heartland FC (Imo) Vs Essien Ayi FC (Cross River) – Awka – 10/05/23 – 2pm
- Ahudiya (Abia) Vs Bendel Insurance (Edo) – Calabar – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- Standard FC (Kaduna) Vs Sunshine Stars (Ondo) – Lokoja – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- EFCC FC (FCT) Vs Akwa United (Akwa Ibom) – Awka – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- Warri Wolves (Delta) Vs 3SC (Oyo) – Owerri – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- Mighty Jets (Plateau) Vs Gombe United (Gombe) – Kano – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- Osun United (Osun) Vs Insurance Feeders (Edo) – Lagos – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- Cynosure FC (Ebonyi) Vs Lobi Stars (Benue) – Abuja Area 3 – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- Plateau United (Plateau) Vs Enyimba FC – Benin City – 10/05/23
- Ingas FC (Enugu) Vs El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno) – Kaduna – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- Nasarawa United (Nasarawa) Vs DMD FC (Borno) – Bauchi – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- Ikorodu City (Lagos) Vs Kwara United (Kwara) – Osogbo – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- FC Ebedei (Ekiti) Vs Igbajo FC (Osun) – Ibadan – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- Rangers Int’l (Enugu) Vs Kano Pillars (Kano) – Abuja Goal Project – 10/05/23 – 4pm
- FR Ebunuja (Imo) Vs Doma United (Gombe) – Abuja Area 3 – 10/05/23 – 2pm
- Edel FC (Anambra) Vs Mailantarki FC (FCT) – Akure – 10/05/23 – 4pm
FEDERATION CUP: ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES (WOMEN)
- Bayelsa Queens Vs Dannaz Ladies (Dannaz Ladies were involved in an accident cannot continue in the competition)
- Fortress FC (Edo) Vs Honey Badgers (Benue) – Lokoja – 11/05/23 – 2pm
- Heartland Queens (Imo) Vs Lakeside Queens (Ogun) – Warri – 11/05/23 – 2pm
- Edo Queens (Edo) Vs Maureen Mmadu FC (Abia) – Calabar – 11/05/23 – 4pm
- Robo Queens (Lagos) Vs Royal Queens (Delta) – Awka – 11/05/23 – 4pm
- Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa) Vs Naija Ratels (FCT) – Lokoja – 11/05/23 – 4pm
- Rivers Angels (Rivers) Vs Osun Babes (Osun) – Warri – 11/05/23 – 4pm
- Moje Queens (Kwara) Vs Delta Queens (Delta) – Lagos – 11/05/23 – 4pm
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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