NFF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
President Federation Cup: NFF schedules National Play-Off for next week
The Nigeria Football Federation has affirmed that the National Play-Off games or this year’s President Federation Cup men and women competition will take place on Wednesday, 5th March, following the successful completion of the preliminaries in the 36 States and the FCT at the weekend.
Cup holders El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, as well as former winners Lobi Stars of Makurdi, Bendel Insurance of Benin City, Enugu Rangers, Shooting Stars, Heartland FC, Akwa United and Kano Pillars were among the winners, while while four-time champions Enyimba FC of Aba surprisingly lost to Ahudiyannem FC following a penalty shootout in Umuahia.
The Draw for the National Competition will hold on Wednesday, 12th March 2025. After the National Play-Off, which will involve a number of newcomer-teams, a total of 64 teams will emerge for the draw that will take place in Abuja, with the Round of 64 competition scheduled for 19th March.
ALL THE WINNERS (MEN’S COMPETITION)
Imo: Heartland FC 2-0 OISA FC
Niger: Atlantic FA 0-0 Harmony FA (Atlantic FA win 6-5 on penalties)
Abia: Enyimba 0-0 Ahudiyannem FC (Ahudiyannem win 3-1 on penalties)
Kwara: Kwara United 1-1 ABS (Kwara United win 5-4 on penalties)
Benue: Lobi Stars 2-1 Flight FC
Adamawa: No competition
Edo: Bendel Insurance 3-0 Assemblies of God
Bauchi: Wikki Tourists 1-0 Warinje FC
Lagos: Ikorodu City 0-0 Inter Lagos (Inter Lagos win 5-4 on penalties)
Jigawa: Lautai United 0-2 Dandidi Babes
Rivers: Rivers United 0-0 Wilbros FC (Rivers United win 4-3 on penalties)
Ogun: Imperial FC 2-2 Beyond Limits (Imperial FC win 8-7 on penalties)
FCT: EFCC 0-0 FWC FC (FWC FC win 4-3 on penalties)
Osun: Osun United 0-1 Igbajo FC
Nasarawa: FC Basira 0-2 Nasarawa United
Enugu: Rangers Int’l 3-0 Ijele FC
Anambra: Solution FC 0-0 Edel FC (Edel win 2-0 on penalties)
Ondo: Sunshine Stars 0-0 Sunshine Stars U19 (Sunshine Stars win 4-3 on penalties)
Ekiti: COPDEM 0-1 NOSMAS FC
Borno: El-Kanemi Warriors 3-0 CP Strikers
Akwa Ibom: Akwa United 1-0 Eagle Eye FA
Oyo: Crown FC 0-0 Shooting Stars (Shooting Stars win 4-2 on penalties)
Kogi: Kogi Central FC 1 Vs FC Bako 2
Katsina: Katsina United 1-0 Jnr Danburam
Ebonyi: Cynosure FC 0-1 Abakaliki FC
Kebbi: Discovery Talent Academy 1-5 Kebbi United
Bayelsa: Bayelsa United 2-2 Crusaders FC (Crusaders win 4-2 on penalties)
Kaduna: Simon Beb FA 1-1 Green Berets (Green Berets win 4-2 after penalties)
Gombe: Gombe United 3-1 El-Shama FC
Plateau: Mighty Jets Feeders 0-2 Plateau Utd
Cross River: Rovers FC 1-0 E-World
Delta: Warri Wolves 2-1 De Sapele Lions
Sokoto: Sokoto United 1-2 Sokoto North FC
Taraba: Technobat FC 0-1 Eagle Stars FC
Kano: Kano Pillars 3-2 Barau FC
Yobe: Yobe Desert Stars 10-1 Gujuba Academy
Zamfara: Zamfara United 1-0 Zamfara United Feeders
ALL THE WINNERS (WOMEN’S COMPETITION)
Abia: Ahudiyannem Queens
Adamawa: Adamawa Queens
Akwa Ibom: Ibom Angels 3-0 Jacklyn Angels
Anambra: GP World FA
Bayelsa: Bayelsa Queens 8-0 Crystal Stars
Delta: Delta Queens 2-0 Delta Babes
Ebonyi: First Mahi Babes
Edo: Edo Queens 3-0 Fortress Ladies
Enugu: Queen of Softlanding FC
FCT: Naija Ratels 6-0 N-Youth Ladies FA
Imo: Heartland Queens
Kaduna: Gallant Queens 6-0 Kada Queens
Kogi: Confluence Queens
Kwara: Moje Queens 2-2 Kwara Ladies (Moje Queens win 4-3 on penalties)
Lagos: Unification Ladies 0-1 Dannaz Ladies
Nasarawa: Nasarawa Amazons
Ogun: Remo Stars Ladies 4-0 Castmong Ladies FC
Ondo: Sunshine Queens 3-3 Onimarg FC (Sunshine Queens win 4-2 on penalties)
Osun: Osun Babes FC
Plateau: Plateau United Queens 2-1 Mighty Jets Mata
Rivers: Rivers Angels 10-0 Sparkling Angels
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Kenyan official, Josephine Wanjiku, as referee for next week’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifier between Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, and their South African counterparts, Bantwana, slated for Pretoria.
The Flamingos and Bantwana will clash starting 3pm South Africa time (2pm Nigeria) on Saturday, 8th March in the first leg of a second-round fixture, at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in South Africa’s administrative capital.
While 2022 FIFA World Cup bronze medallists Nigeria drew bye to the second round, Bantwana crushed their counterparts from Gabon 21-2 on aggregate, winning 12-1 in Gabon and then running away 9-1 winners on home soil.
CAF has also appointed Wanjiku’s compatriots Mary Njoroge, Elizabeth Njoroge and Juma Lucy Awino as assistant 1, assistant 2 and fourth official respectively.
Cindy Barbara Dludlu from eSwatini will be the commissioner, with Moroccan Khadija Rezzag to be in the role of referee assessor.
Both teams will battle things out in the return leg at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne-Remo on Saturday, 15th March, with the winner on aggregate progressing to the third round of the qualification campaign.
This year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup (the competition becomes an annual event from this year) will be hosted by Morocco, 17 October – 8 November, with Africa to present 5 teams (including host nation Morocco) at the finals, which has also been expanded to 24-nation championship.
The Flamingos, who reached the quarter-finals at last year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic, have been in camp at the Remo Stars Institute, Ikenne-Remo for a couple of weeks in preparation for the clash with the Bantwana.
