THE Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos comes alive on Sunday as Enyimba attempts to retain the Federation Cup when it takes on Dolphins of Port Harcourt which has never lost in the final of the competition before.
What is today known as the Federation Cup started in 1942 as War Memorial Challenge Cup before it was changed to the Governor's Cup in 1945 and in 1964 to the FA Cup which reigned till 1960 when it became the Challenge Cup, The competition became the Coca Cola FA Cup in 1999 before it got a new name the Federation Cup in 2009.
Enyimba clinched the trophy last year at the same venue with 5-4 scoreline via penalties, after they came from behind on two occasions to settle for a 2-2 draw with Warri Wolves at regulation time.
The People's Elephant is gunning for its fourth title following its victories also in 2005 and 2009 as attempts to win in 2010 and 2011 ended in futility.
Interestingly, Coach Kadiri Ikhana will be aiming at winning the Federation Cup title for the first time as a coach, and this he has made the Aba millionaires to realise.
Having lost the Globacom Premier League title to Kano Pillars, Ikhana has set his sight on the oldest trophy in the land moreso to pacify the hard fans of Enyimba.
“Our consolation after losing the league title to Pillars is that we have a CAF Champions League ticket in the kityy, but I have told my players that we can’t afford to lose the Federation Cup and they have all promised to beat Dolphins in Lagos,” the man who coached Enyimba to win the Champions League for Nigeria for the first time in 2003 declared.
However, coach Stanley Eguma will bank on tradition to dislodge Enyimba on Sunday as his team has never lost in the final of the Federation Cup before.
Dolphins formerly Eagles Cement FC first won the Cup in 2001 and thereafter emerged champions
in 2004, 2006 and 2007 thus, will be gunning for its fifth title in the city known as the Centre of Excellence on Sunday.
The final will also see the highest goal scorer of the just-concluded Globacom Premier League season, Mfom Udoh with 23 goals take on his counterpart from Dolphins Emem Eduok who finished with 20 goals.
The final of the Women's version of the Federation Cup between Sunshine Quuens and Rivers Angels will precede the Enyimba/Dolphins showdown billed for 4pm.
The winner of the men's Federation Cup will represent the country in next year's CAF Confederation Cup.
Caption: Kadiri Ikhana, can he break the jinx on Sunday?
Past winners of the competition since 1999.
Coca Cola FA Cup
- 1999 : Plateau United (Jos) 1-0 Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
- 2000 : Niger Tornadoes (Minna) 1-0 Enugu Rangers
- 2001 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 2-0 El-Kanemi Warriors (Maiduguri)
- 2002 : Julius Berger FC (Lagos) 3-0 Yobe Stars (Damaturu)
- 2003 : Lobi Stars (Makurdi) 2-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)
- 2004 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 1-0 Enugu Rangers
- 2005 : Enyimba FC (Aba) 1-1 Lobi Stars (Makurdi) (aet, 6-5 pen)
- 2006 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 2-2 Bendel Insurance (aet, 5-3 pen)
- 2007 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 1-1 Enugu Rangers (aet, 3-2 pen)
- 2008 : Ocean Boys FC (Brass) 2-2 Gombe United FC (aet, 7-6 pen)
- 2009 : Enyimba FC (Aba) 1-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)
- 2010 : Kaduna United F.C. 3-3 Enyimba FC (Aba) (aet, 3-2 pen)
- 2011 : Heartland F.C. 1-0 Enyimba FC (Aba)
- 2012 : Heartland F.C. 2-1 Lobi Stars
- 2013 : Enyimba F.C. 2-2 Warri Wolves (aet, 5-4 pen)
- 2014: Enyimba ? Dolphins ?
No comments:
Post a Comment