History will be made in Lagos on Sunday in the 2016 Federation Cup final as FC Ifeanyi Ubah and Nasarawa United battle for their first Cup glory.
Both teams have never gone this far in the country’s oldest Cup competition and having finally made it, they are keen to end on a high, lifting the giant silver trophy on Sunday in Lagos.
Aside the bragging rights and prestige at stake, victory for either side will also earn them the final continental ticket on offer as the winner of Sunday’s final will be representing Nigeria in the CAF Confederations Cup.
Going by their star-studded team, some are of the opinion that the FCIU fondly called Anambra Warriors have a slight edge
FCIU Coach confident
Indeed, FC Ifenayi Ubah head coach, Rafael Everton, believes that his team are fully focused going into Sunday’s clash.
He said, “In the last few weeks, we have been training very well, and we have been paying attention at little details that can help us win the match.
“We are aware that it is a final, and finals are lost/won by a moment of brilliance or a loss of concentration or a single goal.
“We have been working to rectify or weaknesses but also we have been working hard to get better on our strength.
“Yes, it might be our first final but we are going do our best to give a good account of ourselves,” the FCIU Coach concluded.
Nasarawa United focused
Nasarawa United FC chairman, Isaac Danladi, said his team would be “too strong” for FC Ifeanyi Ubah.
The Nasarawa United Chairman said his team have been perfecting their strategies nearby in Ibadan.
“We are very focused on winning this competition. For one week, we camped in Ibadan to avoid distractions, and we have confidence that we are ready to go for it on Sunday,” Danladi told thenff.com.
The Lafia–based club would hope to benefit from their experience in playing in the continent this year, when they reached the second round of the CAF Confederation Cup before losing to CS Constantinois of Algeria.
Road to final
To make it to the final, Nasarawa United defeated FC Abuja 1-0 in the Round of 64, beat Go Round FC by the same margin in the Round of 32 and saw off
Dynamite United also 1-0 in the Round of 16.
In the quarter finals, the Solid Miners prevailed 4-2 on penalties over 2015 champions Akwa United after both teams finished 0-0 in regulation time, and the Lafia boys then shocked two –time African champions, Enyimba FC, 1-0 in the second semi final in Ibadan.
FC Ifeanyi Ubah, on their part, piped Ebonyi United 1-0 in the Round of 64 before ejecting last year’s runners–up, Lobi Stars, also by a lone goal in the Round of 32.
In the Round of 16, they defeated Katsina United 2-0, the same margin of victory they earned over Warri Wolves in the quarter -finals. In the semi finals, they edged Crown FC 2-1 in Kaduna, albeit under controversial circumstances.
While the men’s final is to begin at 3.30pm, there is also the women’s version, which is billed to start at 1.30 p.m. between Bayelsa Queens and Rivers Angels all at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The governors of Anambra, Nasarawa, Rivers and Bayelsa are all expected to be at the venue, as well as host Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
