Federation Cup final to hold ahead of NPFL conclusion in May – NFF

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

The Federation Cup final for 2023 will hold ahead of the conclusion of the 2022/2023 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in May, 2023.

The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed this during its meeting on Monday.

“In affirming that the grand finale of this year’s Federation Cup competition will hold a week before the last matches of the Nigeria Premier Football League season, the Executive Committee stated that this will allow the winner to prepare adequately for the task of flying the country’s flag creditably at the CAF Confederation Cup,” the communique read.

“It observed that failure to adhere to the calendar/lack of any in the past few years was the principal reason for Nigeria’s recent poor show in continental club competitions.”

The winner of the Federation Cup is expected to represent Nigeria at the 2023/2024 CAF Confederation Cup.

The 2022 Federation Cup was inconclusive with the fourth-placed team at the end of the 2021/2022 NPFL season, Kwara United taking the continental slot allotted to winners of the Federation Cup.

Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens last won the Federation Cup in 2021. The Nigerian version of the FA Cup started in 1942 as War Memorial Challenge Cup.

In 1945, it became the Governor’s Cup till 1954 when it was rechristened “FA Cup” before the oldest football Cup in Nigeria was named “Challenge Cup” from 1960 to 1999.

With beverage company sponsorship of the tournament, it was renamed “Coca-cola FA Cup” from 1999 to 2009.

From 2009 to 2016, it became the “Federation Cup” before Aiteo sponsorship made it to be known as the “Aiteo Cup”.

Shooting Stars with nine titles is the most successful club in the competition.