All roads lead to Teslim Balogun Stadium!
On behalf of the Nigeria Football Family, I must praise the efforts of the Lagos State Government, powered by football-loving Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), to bring back in quantum, the glory and glamour of a competition that started as Governor’s Cup, became FA Cup, was rechristened Challenge Cup and is now known as Federation […]
On behalf of the Nigeria Football Family, I must praise the efforts of the Lagos State Government, powered by football-loving Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), to bring back in quantum, the glory and glamour of a competition that started as Governor’s Cup, became FA Cup, was rechristened Challenge Cup and is now known as Federation Cup.
At the beginning, Governor Fashola made it known to the Nigeria Football Federation that he preferred a long-term agreement for the hosting of the grand finale of the competition. And, as the NFF keyed into his vision and determination to see that the Federation Cup wins back the lustre and the regard, we signed a four-year contract.
While presenting a new, giant-size, all-silver trophy that he donated for the competition, in his office a few weeks ago, Governor Fashola requested that the Nigeria Football Federation ensures that the competition will never leave Lagos again. That is, the Grand Finale.
As a demonstration of its commitment and in its desire to have a dress rehearsal of sorts, Lagos State requested to serve as one of the centres for the group stage matches. And Kano Pillars, El-Kanemi Warriors, Kwara United and Crown FC lit up the Agege Stadium, providing a foretaste of what the real supper will be on Sunday.
This year’s competition has, no doubt, has its huge surprises – which is the mainstay and big lure of Federation Cup (or FA Cup) competitions all over the world.
On Wednesday, Lobi Stars of Makurdi edged Kano Pillars of Kano on penalties at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar. Many were those who expected Pillars to triumph, based on current form. But Lobi Stars stormed Calabar determined to remain the only side still gunning for a ‘double’ at the end of their clash.
Lobi Stars and Kano Pillars are at the top of the log in the Nigeria Premier League, with only one match left in the season, and with Pillars now out of the way, only Lobi can gun for a double!
While we may not need to go deep into the history of the competition, it is meet and proper to celebrate a few persons and teams that have enlivened and enriched the glamour showpiece.
Take a bow, Lagos Railways FC, which won the trophy in 1946, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1956, 1957 and 1964 (seven times) and then finished second in 1947 when it lost 1-3 to Lagos Marine in a memorable match.
What about Shooting Stars Sports Club (variously known as Ibadan Lions, WNDC and IICC Shooting Stars, which won the trophy eight times. Lions won in 1961, 1966 and 1969, before changing name to WNDC and winning in 1971. Shooting Stars won in 1977, 1979 and 1995, when it defeated Katsina United FC 2-0 at the National Stadium, Lagos.
Players like Teslim Balogun (Thunder) and Haruna Ilerika, who are being honoured post-humously tomorrow, and others too numerous to mention, made the Cup what it is today. Also being honoured is veteran journalist Fabio Lanipekun, who also covered several, several final matches and is aging gracefully at 70.
How can anyone forget the likes of Muyiwa Oshode of Lagos ECN and Stationery Stores; Sani Mohammed also of Lagos ECN and Stationery Stores and; the precocious Sam Garba Okoye (of blessed memory) who livened up the 1972 final that was played originally in Lagos and replayed in Ibadan (Liberty Stadium)?
How can anyone forget Christian Chukwu (Chairman) who led Enugu Rangers to THREE CONSECUTIVE WINS between 1974 and 1976, and also in 1981. But has anyone been able to ask the great defender Chukwu what happened in 1978, when Bendel Insurance brought the Flying Antelopes down to earth with a 3-0 spanking at the National Stadium, Surulere?
Can we truly forget Stationery Stores, founded in the mid-1960s by late Israel Adebajo, and which rose stoutly to the occasion to lift the trophy in 1967, at the expense of Mighty Jets?
And can we all spare a thought for Mighty Jets, which reached the final in 1951, and consecutively between 1962 and 1967, and in 1971, 1972 and 1974, LOSING ALL?
In 1951, they lost to Lagos Railways; in 1962 to Police; in 1963 to Port Harcourt FC; in 1964 to Lagos Railways; in 1965 to Lagos ECN; in 1966 to Ibadan Lions (walk-over); in 1967 to Stationery Stores; in 1970 to Lagos ECN; in 1971 to WNDC and; in 1974 to Enugu Rangers.
Katsina United FC also has a bitter story to tell, reaching the final consecutively in 1995, 1996 and 1997, failing to win each time. They lost to Shooting Stars in 1995, to Julius Berger the following year and BCC Lions in 1997.
BCC Lions deserve plaudits for the way the club emerged with a bang, and strolled to FOUR TITLES between 1989 and 1997. In 1989, their victims were Iwuanyanwu Nationale; in 1993, Plateau United were accounted for; in 1994, Julius Berger came short and; in 1997, Katsina United fell narrowly. The club had earlier lost the 1985 final to Abiola Babes on penalty shoot-out.
Goalkeepers Emmanuel Okala of Enugu Rangers and Peter Rufai of Stationery Stores, who both made their marks for the Senior National Team, are also deserving of honour being conferred on them tomorrow.
Ismaila Mabo of the famed Mighty Jets side will also be in Lagos, as well as Segun Odegbami, Moses Kpakor (captain of that impetuous BCC Lions squad of the late 1980s and early 1990s), Victor Oduah (captain of the great Bendel Insurance side of the 1970s and captain of the Green Eagles that won the All-Africa Games gold in 1973) and Coaches Alabi Aisien and Shuaibu Amodu.
Aisien, who built that Bendel Insurance squad of the ‘70s, and Shuaibu Amodu, who coached the BCC Lions team that we all remember very well, and also went on to coach El-Kanemi Warriors, have earned their awards.
And of course, the likes of Stephen Keshi (New Nigerian Bank), Kadiri Ikhana (Bendel Insurance), Henry Ogboe (Bendel Insurance), Dominic Iorfa (BCC Lions), Manu Garba (two-time winning Captain with El-Kanemi Warriors in 1991 and 1992) deserve great praise for what they have done.
Falconets Must Take No Prisoners…
Tomorrow’s crunch game against Italy must be approached with every level of commitment and determination possible by our Falconets, as all four teams in Group B still have a mathematical chance of sailing into the quarter finals.
We would have been celebrating a place in the quarter finals after the match with Brazil on Wednesday but the Falconets took their feet off the pedal in the second half and allowed the Brazilians to equalize and cause unnecessary anxiety in our half of the pitch.
I have personally spoken to the coaches and players and surely, the NFF and the generality of Nigerians expect a more aggressive outing by the Falconets tomorrow.
NEXT WEEK: Drums of South Africa 2013 Beating!