BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

The final match of the maiden edition of the AITEO Cup originally slated to hold next week Sunday has been postponed by one week. The AITIO Cup which is the replacement for the previous Federation Cup, the successor to the previous Governor’s Cup, the Challenge Cup and later the FA Cup has reached the semi final stage.

The final day was to be October 8 which co-incidentally would have been the 50th anniversary of the first time that crowd pulling and fanatically supported Stationery Stores first won the national cup.

But more importantly, it would have also marked the 68th anniversary of Nigeria’s first international match when the returning UK Tourists beat Sierra Leone 2-0 in Freetown on October 8, 1949.

It would have also marked the 24th anniversary of Nigeria’s first qualification for the World Cup, a feat that was achieved on October 8, 1993 following a 1-1 draw with Algeria in Algiers in the race for USA ’94.

An inside source informed the Sports Village Square that the AITEO Cup final match had to be moved by a week for logistic reasons. On the eve of the original date, Nigeria has a crucial World Cup qualifying match to play against Zambia in Uyo.

A win by Nigeria seals the Super Eagles’ sixth World Cup appearance. The situation therefore assumed the status that prevailed during the World War II when a General Order was issued and all activities by the colonialists in Nigeria were geared towards prosecuting the World War II.

Although Sports Villages Square gathered that the final match of what will be the 71st national cup edition is postponed, the NFF is yet to come out with the venue.

The Teslim Balogun Stadium has held the final matches since 2011. The national competition only failed to hold once in 1973 since it started in 1945 as Governor’s Cup which changed to “All Nigeria Challenge Cup” following changes in the Nigerian constitution. So, at the Annual General Meeting of the then NFA on February 28, 1955 the new name was adopted.

The then General Secretary of the NFA Reginald Banham Allen, announced the new name which it bore until the first title sponsorship agreement changed the name to Coca-Cola FA Cup in 1996.

On June 3, 2009, following the withdrawal of the title sponsors and the change of name by the football governing body from NFA to NFF, the competition changed to Federation Cup.

For the fourth time, on June 28 this year, Nigeria’s oldest football competition changed name to ‘AITEO Cup’.