FEDERATION CUP
How are the mighty fallen! Big names crash at President Federation Cup
Only three Nigeria Premier League clubs are able to make it to the quarter-finals of the President Federation Cup following spate of upset recorded on Wednesday at the Round of 16.
Seventeen of the elite clubs entered into the national finals but only three of them remain. The figure is destined to reduce to at least two when the quarter finals are played.
Kano Pillars will face fellow NPFL sides, Sunshine Stars. Further upsets could still be recorded as another Premier League sides, Abia Warriors will face Sokoto United.
Akwa United, struggling hard to evade relegation in the league fell 1-0 to Kebbi United in the Round of 16 just as Shooting Stars were shut out 1-0 by El Kanemi Warriors.
The biggest elephants that fell were the Enyimba who lost 1-0 to Sokoto United. Rivers United lost 1-0 also to fellow NPFL sides, Sunshine Stars.
President Federation Cup: MEN’S ROUND OF 16 RESULTS
Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) 0-1 EFCC FC (FCT)
Kebbi United (Kebbi) 1-0 Akwa United (Akwa Ibom)
El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno) 1-0 Shooting Stars (Oyo)
Ikorodu City (Lagos) 1-1 Inter Lagos (Lagos) – Inter Lagos win 5-4 on penalties
Kwara United (Kwara) 1-1 Abia Warriors (Abia) – Abia Warriors win 4-3 on penalties
Sokoto United (Sokoto) 1-0 Enyimba (Abia)
Sunshine Stars (Ondo) 1-0 Rivers United (Rivers)
Katsina United (Katsina) 1-1 Kano Pillars (Kano) – Kano Pillars win 8-7 on penalties
Quarter-Final Pairings
EFCC FC (FCT) Vs Kebbi United (Kebbi)
El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno) Vs Inter Lagos (Lagos)
Abia Warriors (Abia) Vs Sokoto United (Sokoto)
Sunshine Stars (Ondo) Vs Kano Pillars (Kano)
President Federation Cup: WOMEN’S ROUND OF 16 RESULTS
Bayelsa Queens (Bayelsa) 1-1 Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa) – Nasarawa Amazons win 6-5 on penalties
Dannaz Ladies (Lagos) 0-1 Remo Ladies (Ogun)
Abia Angels (Abia) 0-4 Naija Ratels (FCT) – Benin City
Heartland Queens (Imo) 0-2 FC Robo Queens (Lagos)
Kwara Ladies (Kwara) 0-7 Delta Queens (Delta)
Sunshine Queens (Ondo) 2-0 Honey Badgers (Benue)
Osun Babes (Osun) 1-1 Confluence Queens (Kogi) – Osun Babes win 4-3 on penalties
Edo Queens (Edo) 1-4 Rivers Angels (Rivers)
Quarter-Final Pairings
Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa) Vs Remo Stars Ladies (Ogun)
Naija Ratels (FCT) Vs FC Robo Queens (Lagos)
Delta Queens (Delta) Vs Sunshine Queens (Ondo)
Osun Babes (Osun) Vs Rivers Angels (Rivers)
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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