The Nigeria Football Federation has warned that clubs that fail to honour matches during the national preliminary stage of this year’s President’s Federation Cup will face a fine of ₦1 million.

The directive was announced on Monday by the NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, as preparations gather momentum for the country’s oldest football tournament.

According to the NFF, the state preliminary rounds of the competition will be held from March 22 to April 26 across the country.

The state qualifiers will begin on Sunday, March 22, with clubs required to honour all fixtures once they have completed registration for the competition at the state level.

David explained that any club that fails to appear for a scheduled match after registration during the state preliminaries will be sanctioned with a fine of ₦500,000.

However, clubs that default at the national preliminary stage will face a stiffer penalty of ₦1 million.

She also directed that the final matches in the various state competitions must be played either on Saturday, April 25 or Sunday, April 26.

Following the conclusion of the state finals, each State Football Association and the Federal Capital Territory will be required to submit two representatives to compete in the national phase of the tournament.

The President’s Federation Cup, formerly known as the FA Cup, remains Nigeria’s oldest domestic football competition and traditionally provides clubs from across the country an opportunity to compete for national honours.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

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

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

For the 18th time in history, Nigeria’s national cup final was decided by the lottery of penalties, and on Saturday in Lagos, it was Kwara United who emerged victorious, claiming their first-ever major trophy.

The President Federation Cup final between Kwara United and Abakaliki FC ended goalless after regulation time at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, prompting a shootout to determine the 2024 champion. Kwara United triumphed 4-3 in the tense penalty decider.

This latest penalty shootout marked the 18th time since 1983 that the cup final has gone down to spot kicks. The first such instance was 41 years ago when Enugu Rangers edged DIC Bees of Kaduna 5-4 after a 0-0 draw.

Kwara United’s triumph writes them into Nigerian football history as the 33rd different club to win the country’s oldest football competition, previously known as the Challenge Cup and later the FA Cup.

With the victory, Kwara United also secured a continental ticket and will join Abia Warriors in representing Nigeria in the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H