BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

The Agege Stadium in Lagos is set to be the 13^th stadium to host a Nigerian national cup final match.

According to a media release on Sunday by the Media Department of the Nigeria Football Federation on Sunday evening, top officials of the federation led by its president, Amaju Pinnick were at the stadium on Sunday on a first inspection ahead of the final match which Sports Village Square had exclusively reported that it had been moved from the original date of October 8 to October 15.

The NFF chief was joined by senior vice president, Seyi Akinwunmi, and the 2^nd Vice President/LMC chairman, Shehu Dikko, Executive Committee members Sharif Rabiu Inuwa and Aisha Falode, President of the Nigeria Referees Association, Tade Azeez, NFF’s Director of Communications Ademola Olajire and CAF Assistant General Coordinator Samson Adamu.

The immediate past final of the national cup which was then called Federation Cup took place as the more expansive Teslim Balogun Stadium, an arena named after a legend of the national cup when it was Governor’s Cup and later the Challenge Cup.

No reason was given for the choice of the compact and less than 5,000 capacity stadium which is the home ground of the NPFL runners-up, MFM. But Sports Village Square believes it is possibly to test run the suitability of the arena for CAF Champions League matches next season as the MFM may have preference for the arena which its supporters have nicknamed “The Temple”.

It is the first time the arena set up by the Western Regional Government of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as play ground for the industrial district of Ikeja as playground, will host a national cup final.

The national cup final which began as Governor’s Cup had its origin at Onikan Stadium which was then known as Association Ground. It hosted the national final under different names from 1945 to 1972 as it changed names from Association Ground to King George V and later to Lagos City Stadium.

It never hosted the final under its present name of Onikan Stadium, a name it adopted after the old structure was pulled down in 1974 and rebuilt by Lateef Jakande’s government in the early 1980s.

It last hosted the then Challenge Cup in 1972 in an ill-tempered match between Mighty Jets and the then Bendel Insurance. The match ended 2-2 and had to be replayed. It was the last time a national final match was held at the water-front arena.

For the first time, the final was moved to Ibadan at the then Liberty Stadium, now renamed Obafemi Awolowo Stadium. The 1974 final was played at the newly built National Stadium, Lagos where successive editions were held uninterrupted till the 1988 edition which held at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.

The fifth stadium to host the final match was Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi in 1989. It was in Bauchi that history was made when for the first time in 36 years; a club from the North won the national Cup.

The relatively unknown and young Amodu Shaibu coached BCC Lions to beat a higher rated Iwuanyanwu Nationale 1-0.

The Bauchi stadium went on to host in 1994. Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi was the sixth host in 1992. It hosted again in 2008.

Sports Village Square recalls that the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna in 1993 became the seventh host. Since then, the arena that was inaugurated on August 2, 1964 hosted again in 1997 and 2003.

The eighth host was Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna in 1998. Ogbemudia Stadium hosted in 2004 as the ninth arena while Liberation Stadium, now renamed Yakubu Gowon Stadium hosted the following year.

The MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta became the 10^th stadium to host the then FA Cup in 2006. For the first time, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos hosted the final in 2007 a role it repeatedly played in 2009 and from 2011 to 2016.

The 12^th stadium to host the final match was Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano in 2010.

Past National Cup Final Matches Venues

1. Association Ground, Lagos (Later Lagos City Stadium) 1945 to 1972)
2. Liberty Stadium, Ibadan (Now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium) 1972 replay.
3. National Stadium, Lagos. 1974 -1987, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999-2002.
4. Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan. 1988.
5. Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi. 1989, 1994.
6. Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi. 1992, 2008.
7. Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna. 1993, 1997, 2003.
8. Ranchers Bees Stadium, Kaduna. 1998.
9. Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin. 2004.
10. Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt (now Yakubu Gowon Stadium). 2005.
11. Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. 2007, 2009, 2011 – 2016.
12. Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano. 2010.
13. Agege Stadium, Lagos.