Thursday 27 November 2014

Thrills and spills of 2014 Federation Cup finals

Eguma tastes defeat

ENYIMBA on Sunday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, lifted the 2014 Federation Cup with a 2-1 victory over Dolphins FC.

Interestingly, the two leading scorers at the just-ended Globacom Premier League season, Mfom Udoh and Emem Eduok were on target for their respective teams.

Udoh who finished the season with all-time goal record, 23 goals, scored first for Enyimba while Eduok, who had 20 goals in the league scored Dolphins' only goal after the People's Elephant were two goals up. Enyimba's Chinosom Okonkwo holds the record of scoring his team's winning goal in the match.
It was the first time Dolphins had lost in the final of the Federation Cup having won all its previous finals in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Technical Adviser of Enyimba, Kadiri Ikhana (MON) could not show up when the stars on parade
filed out at half time during the men's final of the Federation Cup. Reason: the former international went straight to the dressing room to give pep talks to his players. Business before pleasure you will say.

It was also the first time Ikhana had lifted the Federation Cup as a coach. While the former international won the trophy with Enyimba, Dolphins' coach Stanley Eguma also lost in the final of the Federation Cup for the first time in his coaching career.

Former Nigeria goalkeeper Peter Fregene was among the stars on parade by the Lagos State government during the final of the men's Federation Cup. Fregene who featured in the 1968Olympics is however, confined to the wheel chair as a result of protracted illness.

A player of Rivers Angels created a mild drama during the final of the women's Federation Cup against Sunshine Queens of Akure which ended in 2-0 in favour of the Garden City ladies.
The player who spotted No. 19 shirt helped the centre referee to book a player of Sunshine Queens. At the time the (women) referee had dipped hand into her back pocket to pick up a yellow card, she discovered that it was missing, while the Rivers Angels' player who picked it up flashed the card before she handed it over to the referee, a scene which thrilled a handful of spectators at the stadium then. The centre referee completed the booking in her record as she retrieved the yellow card from the player who came on as a substitute.

Reigning FIFA U-20 World Cup Most Valuable Player (MVP) and highest goal scorer AsisatOshoala scored the first goal for Rivers Angels in the 2-0 win over Sunshine Queens while veteran Super Falcons' winger Stella Mbachu was also on target. Both goals were scored in the 66th and 86th minute respectively.
Rivers Angels coached by the Super Falcons' tactician Edwin Okon lifted the trophy for the fourth year in a row.

Oshoala also went home with the MVP award of the Women's Federation Cup while Emem Eduok of Dolphins who also finished the competition with five goals clinched the men's MVP award.

Ebere Orji also of Rivers Angels emerged the goal queen of the tournament with three goals which she scored in the 6-1 win over City of David Babes in a round of 16 game, while a player of Nembe City won the men's version having finished with six goals.

Caption: Stanley Eguma.


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