By Wale Mustapha
Kwara United have arrived in Lagos ahead of the 2025 President Federation Cup final against Abakaliki FC, scheduled for Saturday, June 28 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.
The Ilorin-based side touched down in Lagos on Friday afternoon to fine-tune their preparations for the decisive clash, which will determine one of Nigeria’s representatives in next season’s CAF Confederation Cup.
Veteran forward Wasiu Alalade expressed confidence and praised the team’s early arrival, noting it will help the players acclimatize and maintain focus ahead of the high-stakes encounter.
“I think it’s nice to be here on time and acclimatize with the atmosphere,” Alalade told Nigeriafootball.ng.
“This will help us settle down and be in the right frame of mind for the final.”
While Abakaliki FC, a Nigeria National League (NNL) side, may be the underdogs on paper, Alalade insists Kwara United are not taking them lightly.
“We haven’t seen clips of them, but we are preparing for it like every other game. We don’t see them as inferior. We’re focused and positive about winning it and making history,” he added.
The winner of the final will join Abia Warriors as Nigeria’s second representative in the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
