BY MFON PATRICK.

Two factors are motivating AITEO Cup finalist, Akwa United as they arrived Lagos this weekend. The zeal to make history and the resort to reclaim a continental ticket the club agonizingly missed when the curtain fell on the Nigeria Professional Football League Season 2016/17.

As  for the latter factor, Akwa United which had impressive run in the season and for most part of the league stayed firmly in to five bracket, it had a twist of fate losing their penultimate league match to Shooting Stars in Ibadan, a loss which led to the loss of their claim to third position on the final log.

Placing third would have enabled the flamboyant side go continental again like that of last year by featuring in the CAF Confederation Cup next season.

The hope is still alive, hence with pent-up annoyance, they dealt heavily on their albatross, Shooting Stars, when they met in the Round of 16 of the AITEO Cup, another route to going continental.

Also, it is the desire of the club to make history. A pursuit history of being the first club to win the AITEO Cup. Also, a history of being the first to win a Federation Cup and the AITEO Cup. It is more! The first club to win a national cup at the Agege Stadium.

The club on the verge of history defeated Sunshine Stars on the path to the final match. Before then, they had left other clubs crashing. These include Halfa FC, Yobe Stars and Katsina United Feeders.

Akwa United is possibly one of the most attack-oriented clubs in the competition having scored a mind blowing 23 goals and conceded paltry six in seven matches.

Niger Tornadoes return to Lagos on a third journey to claim a national cup. The first attempt in 1982 ended in a mitigated disaster, losing to a fire-up Stationery Stores of Lagos by 4-1. But Niger Tornadoes achieved success a second time around, profiting from a dying minute own goal by Enugu Rangers’ Akin Ademofe in the cup final of 2000.

Both Akwa United and Niger Tornadoes are meeting for the third time this year having met in the league.

Akwa United won 3-0 in the sumptuous Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo but lost the reversed fixture, 0-1 in Minna.

With a continental ticket and whopping Twenty-Five Million Naira prize money on offer, Coach Abdu Maikaba has revealed that his team will not leave any stone unturned in Sunday’s final.

He has a full strength squad to choose from for the match and he will be banking on the experience of Captain Otobong Effiong, Ariwachukwu Emmanuel, Godspower Igudia, Paterne Counou and Ubong Friday who were part of the team that lifted the trophy two years ago.

With experienced Super Eagles midfielders Ifeanyi Ifeanyi and Aremu Afeez pulling the strings in the middle of the park, Forwards Christian Pyagbara, Musa Newman, Cyril Olisema and Ubong Friday are sure to enjoy full supply of delectable passes as they gear to round off what has been a great season.

The competition’s top scorer Christian Pyagbara who has scored seven goals in seven matches has said that his focus will be to ensure that the team achieve its target in Sunday’s final. If Pyagbara scores on Sunday, he will be the competition’s highest goal scorer in the last three years.

Thousands of vocal supporters and fans from Akwa Ibom State are set to storm the Agege Stadium to cheer their team to victory.

The winner of the 2017 Aiteo Cup competition will join Enyimba to represent Nigeria at the CAF Confederation Cup next year.