The Nnewi based Nigeria Professional Football League club, FC Ifeanyi Ubah, won the 2016 Federation Cup Tournament yesterday, after 5-4 penalty shootout against Nasarawa United at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.
The Anambra Warriors fought Nasarawa to a goalless draw in limited period time. Seun Sogbeso, guided Nasarawa United to the final after hitting a perfect penalty shootout.
With teams from Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Brazil, Cameroun and Congo in its positions, FC Ifeanyi Ubah emerged out as the champions of the Federation Cup just in its second year in the top alliance. Anambra Warriors now hold a solid position after their victory to symbolise Nigeria in the next year’s CAF Confederation Cup.
“We were chivalrous in annihilation, we gave everything except for we were simply unfortunate,” said Bature Yaro of Nasarawa United.
Both the teams started quite well in the final each keeping their pace in their hand. Nasarawa missed the first big chance when striker Abdulraham Bashir head was saved by the opponent goalkeeper Uche Okafor.
It was really a great sight to see Esosa Igbinoba of Nasarawa United squaring up against Camerounian Tamen Medrano.
The goalkeepers of the two teams were stubborn of not letting their opponent’s ball enter the net. Even after the first half, two teams had a great chance of winning the match but the experience of goalkeeper denied the victory of any team in the full time.
Nasarawa had a still better chance with the presence of Shamak Tanze. He brought some great chances for his team.
Also, in stoppage time, Ifeanyi Ubah shot plug Uche Okafor pulled off the spare of the match when he mixed an objective headed exertion for the corner.
Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr was among the dignitaries that watched Sunday’s masterpiece.
In the interim, the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, has complimented FC Ifeanyi Ubah for securing the current year’s Federation Cup, portraying the triumph as a “blessing to Anambra State.”
An elated senator lauded the players and the training team for exhibiting what he alluded to as the “Soul of Anambra” on the field of play by demonstrating so much versatility, centre and assurance to secure triumph and obviously the trophy from their hard-battling adversaries.
Talking through James Eze, his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Governor Obiano watched that however, the club was another contestant into Nigerian football; the players had drawn nearer the amusement with a strategic profundity that was long ways in front of their relative involvement with this phase of focused football.
He said: “The fellows demonstrated the sort of resolve and fixation that you don’t effortlessly take up with newcomers to this level of the diversion. They had everything going for them – target, assurance, strategy, and discipline and strive for the triumph. In spite of the fact that the Nasarawa young men set up their best exertion, it was, however, simple to see that our young men demonstrated more hunger for triumph.”
“For the benefit of the great individuals of Anambra State, I praise you on this awesome accomplishment. It is a blessing to Ndi Anambra and a confidence promoter to our kin during an era of economic despondency in the nation,” the governor expressed, calling attention to that the whole individuals of the state were glad for this particular accomplishment.
As per him, “FC Ifeanyi Ubah has again demonstrated to Nigeria that Anambra State is fit for incredible things. Keep in mind that this state has dependably contributed remarkable competitors to the national pool of abilities that have gotten respect to Nigeria the past. In the event that you take a gander at the Green Eagles of old, you will review players like Emmanuel Okala, Sylvanus Okpala and others. In the Super Eagles, we have John Mikel Obi, Obinna Nsofor, Chikelue Iloenyosi and others. In games, we have Innocent Egbunike, Mary Onyali, Francis Obikwelu and Tony Emedolu among others. In this way, Anambra has dependably exceeded expectations in games. FC Ifeanyi Ubah is just after our convention of brilliance in games.”
