The 2024 President Federation Cup final is going to be a battle of underdogs with Abia Warriors taking on El-Kanemi Warriors, a team playing in the second tier of Nigeria football, the Nigeria National League. Abia Warriors who battled relegation fight until the last two games of the just concluded Nigeria Premier Football League season.
It has been a rigorous journey for both sides as they had to battle through the league and also the Federation Cup with Abia Warriors surviving relegation while El-Kanemi Warriors also gained promotion to the NPFL.
For the first time in 52 years, the water-front Onikan Stadium now renamed the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos will host the final of the competition.
The last final match played at the arena was on October 14, 1972 in a tension and drama soaked duel between Bendel Insurance and Mighty Jets. It was a replay at Liberty Stadium that ended the tice 3-2 in favour of Insurance.
Speaking with Saturday Telegraph, Abia Warriors’ coach, Bethel Oji, who has won the title as a player with Julius Berger of Lagos, said they are not going to underrate their opponents as he looks forward to winning his first title as a coach.
While thanking God for the turnaround in the fortunes of the team, Oji expressed his delight while saying they were very motivated to lift the trophy.
He however said the glamour of the Federation Cup was no longer like his days when he was active as a player.
“The experience as a player is different from now as a coach because when I was playing, I was still young and I believed we could play to any level and get to the final of any competition,” he said.
“As a coach, I took over from a head coach, it’s a very big experience for me and I give God the glory for everything.
“The glamour is not the same, those days it was very hard but I believe this one they are doing in Lagos, it will come good but not to that level we used to see before. In Lagos, people from all tribes are here, we will have a very big crowd but not like before.
“The final is going to be very difficult. El-Kanemi is a big club not minding that they are coming from the NNL; they have the tradition, good players that can compete, they are a very good side and they have tradition and playing culture, it’s not going to be easy.
“However, nothing short of victory. We must give our 100 percent in whatever we are doing, we have to be serious. Getting to the final is not easy and getting there and going empty handed is not acceptable, we have to play our hearts out with our last blood to make sure we win.”
Buttressing his coach’s points, Abia Warriors’ captain, Njoku Augustine, said they were not going to underrate their opponents on Saturday as they will fight hard to win their first major title as players.
He added also that the major thing at stake was an opportunity to play on the continent as the winner of the Federation Cup will qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup.
Augustine said: “To whom much is given, much is expected. The new chairman and government have been supportive to us and we will do our best. We played the knockout games and we thank God for taking us this far.
“Having said that, you can’t underestimate a team that played their way to the finals. They have equally qualified for the NPFL come next season, so it’s a fight for me and my team. We are all going to fight for the continental ticket.
“We are going to put our heads together to see that the match will be one that lets him (Oji) win it as a coach. For some of us, this is the first major trophy that we are about to lay our hands on so we are going to do everything to make sure we win it.”
Meanwhile, El-Kanemi Warriors will be looking forward to winning their third Federation Cup title to celebrate their promotion to the NPFL.
El-Kanemi won their first Nigeria Cup in 1991, when they defeated Kano Pillars 3-2 in the first-ever all-northern final at the National Stadium, Surulere. The following year, the Warriors successfully defended their title when they pipped Stationery Stores 1-0 at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi.
In their third final in 2001, they lost 1-0 to Dolphin of Port Harcourt at the National Stadium, Surulere.
Technical Adviser, Aliyu Zubairu, has credited hard work for his team’s progress into the final, and believes the same virtue will see the Maiduguri landlords pick up their third Nigeria Cup title in Lagos on Saturday.
“It has not been easy considering the fact that we are combining two competitions and we gave more priority to the promotion games and after the super eight we were at the semi-finals, I talked to the boys that all attention should be shifted to the Federation Cup. That’s how we approached it and we are in the final. There is nothing easy at all.
“What people don’t take cognizance of is the distance of Maiduguri from other parts of the country. It has not been easy but because we have a governor that has been very supportive and made things a bit easy for us.
“The only thing that keeps us going is that most of the players are young, we need players with high resistance so that we could keep going.
“Abia Warriors is a good side and the pressure will be on them. People are thinking we are the underdogs and I pray our opponent thinks the same way too so that we can take advantage of that.
“We are going to give them a good match and we are not going to negotiate about winning the trophy. It’s been long since we won the trophy. We want to have it and by the grace of God, we will have it.”
Meanwhile, it is not going to be the battle of the Warriors alone on Saturday, as the women’s final will take place on the same pitch before the men.
The women’s final will kick off at 1pm also at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena while the men’s final commences at 4pm.
Eight-time champions, Rivers Angels, will be up against debutant, Naija Ratels, with both coaches talking tough ahead of the encounter.
Rivers Angels’ coach, Whyte Ogbonda, has said; “Our target is to lift the trophy and bring it back to Rivers State, having lost the opportunity to win the league.”
But for Naija Ratels coach, Bankole Olowookere, they are ready to create history.
The World Cup bronze medal-winning strategist added: “For sure, we are the distinct underdogs against Rivers Angels that have won this trophy eight times before now. But no team is unbeatable. We have a strategy to emerge champions on Saturday.
“We want to do this for our proprietor and for our supporters who have been with us through victory and defeat, through thick and thin. We are determined to make history.”
