FEDERATION CUP
Nigeria football national cup changed name to give it presidential might, says sports minister
Eloquent-speaking Nigeria sports minister, John Owan-Enoh under whose supervision the Nigeria football knock-out competition changed name for the sixth time.
What began as Governor’s Cup and later changed to Challenge Cup, Coca-Cola FA Cup, Federation Cup, Aiteo Cup and Tingo Cup is now President Federation Cup.
The minister explained that the essence is to return charm to the competition that was previously very glamorous.
At a simple, but colourful event packaged by the GTI Asset Management and Trust Ltd, the NFF and the Ministry of Sports at the Westwood Hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos, the sports minister harped on the need to rejuvenate the Nigeria national football cup competition which is open to all clubs irrespective of their status.
He recalled the thrills and frills of the competition which had all the ingredients of knock out games with the attendant upsets. Foremost was when the then Leventis United of Ibadan rose steadily from the third division and became the first lower- division team to win the then Challenge Cup in 1984.
“Today we gather to relaunch the competition as the President Federation Cup, honouring Nigeria’s highest office holder and aligning with the renewed hope agenda of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, fostering national unity and emulating the American Super Bowl as a national football extravaganza.”
The minister stated further that his initiative of the agreement with GTI was to raise the standard of the national football cup competition.
“We aim to reestablish the renamed competition on the national and international football calendar, involving grassroots teams, creating employment for approximately 500,000 Nigerians, engaging a hundred million football enthusiasts, rejuvenating talent pipelines, fostering national pride, and showcasing Nigeria’s greatness globally.
“The President Federation Cup will become President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s legacy.”
FEDERATION CUP
Women teams begin quest for President Federation Cup
The women’s teams will commence their quest in this year’s President Federation Cup competition at the national level on Wednesday next week, when the Round of 32 matches will be played in nine centres across the Federation.
Uyo, Enugu, Asaba, Lafia, Ibadan, Benin City, Akure, Auchi and Abuja will host the 16 games. Thirteen of the matches will hold on Wednesday while the remaining three, in Asaba and Benin City, will take place on Thursday.
Cup holders Bayelsa Queens are up against Bright Future Queens of Enugu at the Uyo Township Stadium, while last year’s runners-up Rivers Angels tackle Ekiti Queens in Asaba.
Nasarawa Amazons will confront Suit De Queens from Oyo State in Enugu while Delta Queens take on Fortress Ladies of Edo in Akure.
WOMEN’S ROUND OF 32 MATCHES
Bayelsa Queens (Bayelsa) Vs Bright Future Queens (Enugu) – Uyo – 08/05/24 – 4pm
Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa) Vs Suit De Queens (Oyo) – Enugu – 08/05/24 – 4pm
Dannaz Ladies (Lagos) Vs Mighty Jets Mata (Plateau) – Enugu – 08/05/24 – 1pm
Remo Stars Ladies (Ogun) Vs Oske Leans (Rivers) – Asaba – 08/05/24 – 4pm
Abia Angels (Abia) Vs Castmong Ladies (Ogun) – Asaba – 08/05/24 – 1pm
Naija Ratels (FCT) Vs ON Youth Academy (FCT) – Lafia – 08/05/24 – 1pm
Heartland Queens (Imo) Vs Golden Sun (Bayelsa) – Asaba – 09/05/24 – 1pm
FC Robo Queens (Lagos) Vs Onimang FC (Ondo) – Ibadan – 08/05/24 – 4pm
Kwara Ladies (Kwara) Vs Ahudiya Queens (Abia) – Benin City – 08/05/24 – 1pm
Delta Queens (Delta) Vs Fortress Ladies (Edo) – Akure – 08/05/24 – 4pm
Sunshine Queens (Ondo) Vs Green Foot (Enugu) – Benin City – 08/05/24 – 4pm
Plateau United Ladies (Plateau) Vs Honey Badgers (Benue) – Lafia – 08/05/24 – 4pm
Gallant FC (Kaduna) Vs Osun Babes (Osun) – Auchi – 08/05/24 – 4pm
Confluence Queens (Kogi) Vs Delta Ladies (Delta) – Benin City – 09/05/24 – 4pm
Edo Queens (Edo) Vs Kada Queens (Kaduna) – Abuja – 08/05/24 – 4pm
Ekiti Queens (Ekiti) Vs Rivers Angels (Rivers) – Asaba – 09/05/24 – 4pm
Meanwhile, the men’s Round of 64 games will hold on Wednesday and Thursday this week in Abuja, Kaduna, Owerri, Lafia, Awka, Enugu, Benin City, Ibadan, Asaba, Ilorin, Aba and Kano. The 32 matches will produce the candidate-teams for the Round of 32.
MEN’S ROUND OF 64 MATCHES
Bendel Insurance (Edo) Vs Stormers SC (Ogun) – Abuja Area 3 – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) Vs Jr. Danburan (Katsina) – Kaduna ABS – 01/05/24 – 1pm
Osun United (Osun) Vs EFCC FC (FCT) – Awka – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Edel FC (Anambra) Vs Discovery Talent FC (Kebbi) – Abuja Goal Project – 02/05/24 – 1pm
Zamfara United (Zamfara) Vs ABS FC (Kwara) – Abuja Bwari – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Kebbi United (Kebbi) Vs Ine Stars (Edo) – Abuja Area 3 – 01/05/24 – 1pm
Akwa United (Akwa Ibom) Vs Cynosure FC (Ebonyi) – Owerri – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Mighty Jets (Plateau) Vs Zamfara United Feeders (Zamfara) – Kaduna ABS – 02/05/24 – 4pm
Gombe United (Gombe) Vs Karim United (Taraba) – Bauchi – 01/05/24 – 1pm
El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno) Vs Adanimogo FC (Ondo) – Lafia – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Lobi Stars (Benue) Vs Delta Marine (Delta) – Enugu – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Shooting Stars (Oyo) Vs Solution FC (Anambra) – Benin City – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Ikorodu City (Lagos) Vs Green Berets (Kaduna) – Ilorin – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Coal City (Enugu) Vs Ekiti United Feeders (Ekiti) – Asaba – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Beyond Limits (Ogun) Vs Hammola Int’l (Osun) – Ibadan – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Inter Lagos (Lagos) Vs May Frank (Cross River) – Asaba – 02/05/24 – 4pm
Warri Wolves (Delta) Vs Lautai FC (Jigawa) – Abuja Area 3 – 02/05/24 – 4pm
Kwara United (Kwara) Vs Rovers FC (Cross River) – Enugu – 01/05/24 – 1pm
Abia Warriors (Abia) Vs Ilaji FC (Oyo) – Benin City – 02/05/24 – 4pm
Sporting Supreme (FCT) Vs PCM FC (Ebonyi) – Asaba – 01/05/24 – 1pm
Nasarawa United (Nasarawa) Vs FC Bako (Kogi) – Kaduna ABS – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Sokoto United (Sokoto) Vs Ofirima FC (Rivers) – Lafia – 02/05/24 – 4pm
FC One Rocket (Akwa Ibom) Vs Fr. Eburuaja (Imo) – Aba – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Enyimba FC (Abia) Vs Warinje FC (Bauchi) – Ilorin – 02/05/24 – 4pm
Plateau United (Plateau) Vs Ekiti United (Ekiti) – Enugu 02/05/24 – 4pm
Sunshine Stars (Ondo) Vs Jedo Academy (Sokoto) – Abuja Goal Project – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Rivers United (Rivers) Vs Ikukuoma FC (Imo) – Aba – 02/05/24 – 4pm
Niger Tornadoes (Niger) Vs Niger Tornadoes Feeders (Niger) – Abuja Goal Project – 02/05/24 – 4pm
Katsina United (Katsina) Vs Dutse Strikers (Jigawa) – Kano – 01/05/24 – 4pm
Bayelsa United (Bayelsa) Vs FC Basira (Nasarawa) – Enugu – 02/04/24 – 1pm
Doma United (Gombe) Vs Gamji Eaglets (Taraba) – Bauchi – 02/05/24 – 4pm
Kano Pillars (Kano) Vs Rangers Int’l (Enugu) – Abuja Bwari – 02/05/24 – 4pm
FEDERATION CUP
Why ‘Federation’ is inserted in President Cup, says Gusau
It took a while before the new name of the all-Nigeria national football competition was arrived at. President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau explained that when the discussion to rebrand the national cup began, it was just to be called President Cup.
That was to give it a presidential backing by the highest office in Nigeria. It would have been similar to “The Throne Cup” in Morocco.
Gusau explained that not putting ‘Federation’ in the official name could lead people to mistaken that the NFF was not involved in the competition.
It was for that reason that the name was elongated to read: President Federation Cup.
From the quarter-finals stage, the clubs will be taken care of and also supplied with jerseys. Although the prize money was not announced, it was stated that ‘it will be good.’
FEDERATION CUP
BREAKING! Federation Cup acquires presidential nomenclature…7th name since inception
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
For the sixth time, Nigeria’s oldest football competition has had a change of name as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and GTI on Friday announced a new nomenclature for the knock-out competition.
The competition which national draw for the Round of 64 was conducted on Thursday will now be known as President Federation Cup.
It is the seventh name for the competition which began in 1945 as Governor’s Cup. But following the changes in the Nigerian Constitution, the Annual General Meeting of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) on February 28, 1955 opted for another name – the All Nigeria Challenge Cup (simply called the Challenge Cup).
The name endured for decades until it was changed to changed the name to Coca-Cola FA Cup in 1996 for sponsorship reasons.
On June 3, 2008, Ademola Olajire through a press release announced the third change of name to Federation Cup following the adoption of a new nomenclature by the governing body which is now known as Nigeria Federation Cup.
The name endured till June 28, 2017 when the NFF conferred the naming right to its lead partner, the AITEO Group and competition became the ‘AITEO Cup’.
The agreement was for five years and it lapsed in 2022. In 2023 it was called the Tingo Cup. The President Federation Cup is the seventh name that the competition has adopted.
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