FEDERATION CUP
Seventeen NPFL teams make the President’s Federation Cup Round of 64
As Nigeria’s national cup competition, the President Federation Cup enters the Round of 64, 17 of the teams are in the top echelon of the Nigerian league.
The missing trio of the 20 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) are Remo Stars, Niger Tornadoes and Katsina United.
But like that of last season, clubs from the second tier Nigeria National League (NNL) dominate the number.
There are 23 of them in the Round of 64. The remaining 24 teams are either feeder teams to the NPFL clubs or the lowest cadre of the Nigeria league system.
But in a system where seeding is not employed, the possibility of the top-level clubs clashing and eliminating themselves exists.
That leaves the lowest cadre teams revelling into the final stage and the competition losing appeal
Qualified Teams for Round of 64 (Men)
- Enyimba FC (Abia)
- Akwa United (Akwa Ibom)
- Bayelsa United (Bayelsa)
- Lobi Stars (Benue)
- El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno)
- Bendel Insurance (Edo)
- Rangers Int’l (Enugu)
- Heartland FC (Imo)
- Kano Pillars (Kano)
- Katsina United (Katsina)
- Ikorodu City (Lagos)
- Nasarawa United (Nasarawa)
- Kwara United (Kwara)
- Sunshine Stars (Ondo)
- Shooting Stars (Oyo)
- Plateau United (Plateau)
- Rivers United (Rivers)
- Mighty Jets (Plateau)
- Adamawa United (Adamawa)
- Solution FC (Anambra)
- Edel FC (Anambra)
- Wikki Tourists (Bauchi)
- Rovers FC (Cross River)
- Warri Wolves (Delta)
- Abakaliki FC (Ebonyi)
- Ijele FC (Enugu)
- Gombe United (Gombe)
- Barau FC (Kano)
- Kebbi United (Kebbi)
- ABS FC (Kwara)
- Inter Lagos (Lagos)
- FC Basira (Nasarawa)
- Beyond Limit (Ogun)
- Osun United (Osun)
- Igbajo United (Osun)
- Crown FC (Oyo)
- Sokoto United (Sokoto)
- Yobe Desert Stars (Yobe)
- Zamfara United (Zamfara)
- Ahudiyannem (Abia)
- Warinje FC (Bauchi)
- Crusaders FC (Bayelsa)
- Flight FC (Benue)
- E-World FC (Cross River)
- Cynosure FC (Ebonyi)
- Assemblies of God (Edo)
- EFCC FC (FCT)
- FWC FC (FCT)
- Lautau FC (Jigawa)
- Green Beret (Kaduna)
- Jr. Danburam FC (Katsina)
- FC Bako (Kogi)
- Imperial FC (Ogun)
- Wilbros FC (Rivers)
- CP Strikers (Borno)
- NOSMAS FC (Ekiti)
- El-Shama FC (Gombe)
- Dandidi Babes (Jigawa)
- Simon Ben (Kaduna)
- Discovery Talent (Kebbi)
- Atlantic Academy (Niger)
- Harmony Academy (Niger)
- Sunshine U19 (Ondo)
- Eagle Stars (Taraba)
Qualified Teams for Round of 32 (Women)
- Ahudiyannem Queens (Abia)
- Adamawa Queens (Adamawa)
- Ibom Angels (Akwa Ibom)
- Jacklyn Angels (Akwa Ibom)
- GP World FA (Anambra)
- Bayelsa Queens (Bayelsa)
- Crystal Stars (Bayelsa)
- Delta Queens (Delta)
- Delta Babes (Delta)
- First Mahi Babes (Ebonyi)
- Edo Queens (Edo)
- Fortress Ladies (Edo)
- Naija Ratels (FCT)
- N-Youth Ladies (FCT)
- Heartland Queens (Imo)
- Gallant Queens (Kaduna)
- Kada Queens (Kaduna)
- Confluence Queens (Kogi)
- Moje Queens (Kwara)
- Kwara Ladies (Kwara)
- Unification Ladies (Lagos)
- Dannaz Ladies (Lagos)
- Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa)
- Remo Stars Ladies (Ogun)
- Castmog Ladies (Ogun)
- Sunshine Queens (Ondo)
- Onimarg Ladies (Ondo)
- Osun Babes (Osun)
- Plateau United Queens (Plateau)
- Mighty Jets Mata (Plateau)
- Rivers Angels (Rivers)
- Sparkling Angels (Rivers)
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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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