It was a day of joy, drama and celebration as El-Kanemi Warriors and Nasarawa Amazons were crowned champions of the 2026 President Federation Cup after exciting finals at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.
For El-Kanemi Warriors, one goal was enough to bring back the famous trophy to Maiduguri.
The men’s final against Ikorodu City was closely contested, with both teams fighting for every ball from the opening whistle. The breakthrough came in the first half when El-Kanemi Warriors were awarded a penalty. Muktar Ismail stepped forward and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score what turned out to be the winning goal.
Ikorodu City pushed hard after the break in search of an equaliser, creating pressure on the El-Kanemi defence. But the Maiduguri club stayed organised and defended strongly until the final whistle to secure a 1-0 victory.
The win completed an impressive Federation Cup campaign for El-Kanemi Warriors and earned them a place in next season’s CAF Confederation Cup. Although they finished as runners-up, Ikorodu City also qualified to represent Nigeria in the same continental competition.
The triumph marks another proud moment in the club’s history as they reclaimed one of Nigeria’s biggest domestic football trophies.
Earlier in the day, the women’s final produced even more drama as Nasarawa Amazons defeated Heartland Queens 8-7 on penalties after both sides played out a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
The first half was a tense affair, with both teams showing respect for each other and creating only a few clear chances. The goalkeepers were kept busy as neither side could find the breakthrough before the interval.
The match came alive in the second half. Heartland Queens opened the scoring with a well-worked goal, but Nasarawa Amazons refused to give up. They fought back and found the equaliser to force the final into a penalty shootout.
The shootout was full of tension as both teams converted important spot-kicks. After the first five penalties, the score remained level at 5-5, sending the contest into sudden death.
With the pressure at its highest, Nasarawa Amazons kept their composure. They scored their next penalty before Heartland Queens missed theirs, sealing an 8-7 shootout victory.
The final whistle sparked wild celebrations from the Nasarawa Amazons players, coaches and supporters as they lifted the 2026 President Federation Cup trophy after a thrilling contest.
