The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced a N1 million fine for clubs that fail to honour matches in the national preliminary stage of the 2026 President’s Federation Cup.
The federation disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
|
|
Director of Competitions, Ruth David, also confirmed that the state preliminary rounds of the country’s oldest football competition will be held between 22 March and 26 April.
According to the NFF, the state preliminaries will kick off on Sunday, 22 March, across the country as teams compete for places in the national phase of the tournament.
|
|
|
|---|
Mrs David warned that clubs that fail to honour fixtures after registering for the competition at the state level will face sanctions.
“Any club that fails to show up for any match after concluding registration for the competition at the state level will be made to pay the sum of N500,000,” part of the statement read.
The federation added that clubs that fail to honour matches in the national preliminary stage will be fined N1 million.
READ ALSO: NFF reacts to FIFA ‘verdict’ on Nigeria-DR Congo eligibility dispute
The NFF also directed that the final matches of the state competitions must be played either on Saturday, 25 April, or Sunday, 26 April, after which the football associations in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory will submit their two representatives for the national competition.
The President Federation Cup, formerly known as the FA Cup, is Nigeria’s oldest domestic football competition and features teams from professional, amateur, and grassroots levels.
In the last edition, Kwara United emerged champions after a dramatic 4–3 penalty shootout win over Abakaliki FC at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos, securing the club’s first title in the competition.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
![Governor Alex Otti of Abia state [PHOTO CREDIT: Alex C. Otti]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/03/592055144_1377089137198901_544859551774196214_n.jpg?fit=1188%2C792&ssl=1)
