By Dayo Awoniyi
Abakaliki FC’s dream run in the Federation Cup continued on Saturday as the surprise package of the tournament edged out Nasarawa United in a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout victory to book their place in the semifinals.
The underdogs, who had earlier shocked defending champions Enyimba in the Round of 16, once again lived up to their giant-killer tag.
After a 1-1 draw in regulation time, Abakaliki FC held their nerve from the spot to eliminate the former Nigeria Premier Football League side and continue their fairy tale campaign.
Nasarawa United took the lead in the 43rd minute through Garba Abubakar, but Abakaliki FC responded shortly after halftime with a well-taken penalty in the 50th minute.
With both sides unable to break the deadlock in the remainder of the match, it was left to penalties, where Abakaliki triumphed.
Elsewhere, Ikorodu City also made history by securing their first-ever semifinal berth with a narrow 1-0 win over Wikki Tourists.
Kwara United joined them after edging Akwa United 5-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw, while Enugu Rangers completed the semifinal lineup with a 1-0 victory over Plateau United.
This year’s Federation Cup has delivered no shortage of upsets, with Abakaliki FC emerging as the tournament’s most captivating story.
The team from Ebonyi State now finds itself just one match away from a historic final appearance.
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.
