Rivers Angels have clinched the 2025 Female Federation Cup title following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Nasarawa Amazons at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos.

The pulsating final lived up to expectations, ending 2-2 in regulation time after both sides traded goals in a fiercely contested encounter. With no breakthrough in added time, the match proceeded to penalties, where Rivers Angels prevailed 4-2.

This latest triumph reinforces the Port Harcourt-based club’s dominance in Nigerian women’s football. Already one of the most decorated teams in the country, Rivers Angels have now added yet another prestigious trophy to their ever-growing silverware collection.

Their resilience and composure under pressure once again highlight why they remain a benchmark in the domestic women’s game

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A rich blend of political heavyweights, football stakeholders, and entertainment stars will converge on the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos, this Saturday for the grand finale of the 2024 President Federation Cup.

In a throwback to the competition’s original identity as the “Governor’s Cup” in 1945, no fewer than four State Governors will grace the final, which pits surprise package Abakaliki FC of Ebonyi State against top-tier Kwara United.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos will serve as host, welcoming his counterparts — Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, and Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd) — to the historic venue.

Also expected at the event are high-ranking government functionaries, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Seyi Tinubu; the President’s Senior Special Adviser on Grassroots Sports Development, Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye; and other prominent figures in the Nigerian political and sports landscape.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President and WAFU B boss, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, will lead the football governing body’s Executive Committee and Management to the event, while Alhaji Abubakar Lawal will head the delegation from GTI Asset Management, strategic partners of the NFF.

The Lagos State Football Association and the Lagos State Sports Commission will also have a strong presence, with several members of the State Cabinet scheduled to attend. Football greats, including former WAFU President Chief Jonathan Ogufere and sports journalism icon Segun Adenuga, have also confirmed their attendance.

As part of the celebration of Nigeria’s football heritage, the Lagos FA will honour Pa Biliaminu Thanni, the oldest living winner of Nigeria’s national cup competition.

Saturday’s spectacle will kick off with the women’s final at 1 p.m., featuring defending champions Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt against Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia. The men’s final between Abakaliki FC and Kwara United follows at 4 p.m.

The Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly known as King George V Stadium, is steeped in history. It hosted the inaugural national cup final in 1945 and remained the sole venue until 1972 when the final had to be replayed in Ibadan after a 2-2 draw between Bendel Insurance and Mighty Jets.

This year’s final promises to be a nostalgic yet contemporary celebration of Nigerian football, enriched by the presence of key political figures and icons of the game.

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For those still wondering about the driving force behind the remarkable rise of Abakaliki FC — the underdog club from Ebonyi State now set to contest the men’s final of the 2024 President Federation Cup — the answer lies in the man on the touchline: Head Coach Ifeanyi Onyedika.

A name steeped in Nigerian football history, Onyedika is not just a former Nigeria international striker — he was part of the legendary Green Eagles squad that clinched the country’s first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980.

 But his legacy doesn’t stop there. For decades, he has carved a unique niche as both a Cup-winning player and coach.

In 1981, while playing for Enugu Rangers, Onyedika starred in a fierce Federation Cup final against Bendel Insurance — a rematch of their 1978 clash in which Insurance had triumphed 3-0.

This time, the Flying Antelopes had revenge on their minds at the National Stadium, Surulere. After Emmanuel Osigwe put Rangers ahead, Onyedika doubled the lead, sealing a 2-0 win and erasing memories of their previous defeat.

Two years later, he was again part of the Rangers team that lifted the trophy, overcoming DIC Bees of Kaduna 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw in regulation time — once again at the Surulere ground that had become a fortress of football history.

Fast forward to 2006, and Onyedika reemerged — this time from the dugout — to guide Dolphin FC of Port Harcourt to Federation Cup glory.

Dolphin edged Bendel Insurance 5-3 on penalties after a pulsating 2-2 draw in regulation time at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta.

He followed up that triumph the very next year by leading Dolphin to a dramatic win over his old club Enugu Rangers, 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

Now, nearly two decades later, Onyedika is weaving his cup magic once again — this time with little-known Abakaliki FC.

Against all odds, the team has taken down giants like Katsina United, Enyimba FC, Nasarawa United, and Ikorodu City to earn a historic place in Saturday’s grand finale.

Will Onyedika’s storied Federation Cup touch deliver yet another fairy tale finish — this time for a club few saw coming?

Fans across Nigeria are watching, waiting, and hoping to witness yet another chapter in Ifeanyi Onyedika’s legendary love affair with the Federation Cup.

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