How Lagos hosted 60 Federation Cup final matches

For the second successive year, the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos will host the final of the President Federation Cup competition, which is scheduled for Saturday, 28th June.

This brings to 61 the number of final matches of the oldest inter-club competition in Nigeria that stadiums located in Lagos- the former capital of Nigeria- have hosted since the inception of the single knockout tournament in 1942.

This competition was known variously in the past as Governor’s Cup, FA Cup, Challenge Cup and now the President’s Federation Cup.

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Of the 60 Final matches held in Lagos, 18 were staged at the King George V, between 1945 and 1962. The venue was then renamed Lagos City Stadium, and continued to host the final matches until 1972, when the clash between Mighty Jets and Bendel Insurance was stalemated at 2-2 and had to be replayed. The replay was taken to the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, and that was the first time the Final was played outside Lagos.

The National Stadium, Surulere, which was built in 1972 to host the 2nd All-Africa Games that Nigeria staged in 1973, commenced hosting of the grand finale in 1974, as there was no competition in 1973 due to the 2nd All-Africa Games and the maiden edition of the National Sports Festival.

The National Stadium, Surulere hosted a total of 22 Final matches, with the last Final there in 2002, when Julius Berger defeated Yobe Desert Stars 3-0 to emerge champions.

Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos hosted eight Final matches (2007 & 2009, and 2011-2016). The grand finale has also taken place previously at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi (1989 and 1994), Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi (1992 and 2008), Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna (1993, 1997, 2003 and 2019), Rancher Bees Stadium, Kaduna (1998), Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City (2004 and 2021), Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt (2005), MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta (2006), Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano (2010), Agege City Stadium (2017) and the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba (2018 and 2023).

This year’s grand finale will see surprise package Abakaliki FC of Ebonyi taking on Kwara United FC of Ilorin in the men’s final, while Cup holders Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt will tackle Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia in a much-anticipated women’s final.