Emma Njoku

Kano Pillars will seek to break a 65-year-old jinx today when they face Niger Tornadoes of Minna, inside the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, in the epic final of the 2019 AITEO FA Cup.

Pillars have never lifted Nigeria’s most glamourous trophy, which over the years has variously been known as Challenge Cup, FA Cup and Federation Cup before it was code-named AITEO FA Cup, after the current sponsors AITEO,  an oil firm.

The last time a Kano-based club won the prestigious trophy was in 1953 when Kano XI defeated Lagos Dynamos 2-1 in the final of the competition then known as Governor’s Cup. Kano XI played in the next two consecutive finals but lost to Calabar XI 4-3 and Port Harcourt FC 4-1in 1954 and 1955, respectively, when the tournament had been renamed FA Cup.

No Kano-based team reached the final of the oldest football competition in the country until last year when Kano Pillars clashed with Enugu Rangers International at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Delta State, in a dramatic encounter that produced six goals within regulation and extra time before both sides were separated by penalty shoot-out which ended 4-3 in avower of Rangers.

Interestingly, Pillars led  Rangers 3-0 for one hour, only to capitulate i the last quarter of the second half when the 1977 African Cup Winners Cup champions storm back to equalise and went ahead to win on penalty shoot-out.

Tornadoes will be looking to lift the glamourous trophy for the second time having won it for the first time when they defeated Rangers International 1-0 in the final in 2000.

The Minna side, which got relegated from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) at the end of the recently concluded league season, will seek to appease their fans with the trophy.

To reach today’s epic final, Tornadoes defeated Premier League side, Akwa United of Uyo, on penalties after a scoreless draw at regulation time, while Pillars ended the dream of Rivers United in the competition.

Interestingly, both Pillars and Tornadoes already have tickets to fly Nigeria’s flag in the CAF Confederation Cup in the coming football season. Pillars got their ticket courtesy of their third place finish in the recently concluded league season, therefor, win or lose Tornadoes are guaranteed a ticket to the continent since the winner of the AITEO FA Cup will take Nigeria’s second slot in the Confederation Cup.

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The Ahmadu Bello Stadium is expected to record a capacity crowd for today’s final considering the proximity of Kano and Minna to Kaduna.

Captain of Tornadoes, Mustapha Aliko, ahead of today’s clash declared:  “Many people believe that Kano Pillars will have it easy against us simply because we got relegated to the lower division,” the veteran goalkeeper said.

“We have won the Cup (Tornadoes beat Enugu Rangers 1-0 in the 2000 edition) before and technically, I don’t think we are inferior to Kano Pillars.

“It is true that they parade some of the best players around, but that is not to say we won’t be able to play our game. If they believe we are underdogs in this match, they will receive a rude shock. In addition, AITEO Cup is always full of surprises,” Aliko added.

However, Kano State’s Deputy Governor, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, is no less optimistic about the chance of the state team.

“What you (Kano Pillars) have achieved is a unique feat. You have made it back-to-back to the final. You were there (in the final) last year and you are there again this year; Insha Allah (by the grace of God), that Cup is ours,” Gawuna was quoted as saying.

In the women’s final, cup holders, Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt, will clash with Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia, as from 2pm.

Angels have maintained a vice grip on the trophy of the women’s competition, having won eight of the past nine editions, with only Sunshine Queens of Akure (2015) breaking their streak.

Ibom Angels, from Uyo, were going to make it a third successive final against Rivers Angels, before losing to Nasarawa Amazons in the semi finals, paving the way for the 2005 champions to constitute the opposition to Rivers Angels, today.

At stake are N25 million for winner of the men’s competition and N10 million for winner of the women’s competition. The runner–up for the men’s competition will pocket N10 million, with the runner–up for the women’s event will go home with N5 million.