By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria’s continental slots for next season’s CAF Club Competitions are now complete after the remaining sides was determined on Wednesday June 21, 2023.
This was after the country’s Federation Cup final match was decided inside the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State between Bendel Insurance and Enugu Rangers.
At the end, resilient Insurance carried the day after edging Rangers 1-0.
The victory has not only gifted them highest cash reward available for the competition’s winner, but also handed them the much coveted CAF Confederation Cup ticket.
The triumph was their first at the National level in 43 years.
Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions Enyimba, runners-up Remo stars and third-placed Rivers United had grabbed two CAF Champions League slots and one of Confederation Cup after league playoffs few days ago in Lagos.
How The Federation Cup Final Panned Out
It was Imade Osarenkhoe’s strike from six yards on the dot of half time, after handball in the box by Rangers’ defender Chinemerem Ugwueze that earned Insurance the much needed victory.
The Flying Antelopes as Rangers are also known, threw in all they could muster in an interesting encounter, but Insurance also known as Benin Arsenal were determined to hew something out of a see-saw season in which they remained unbeaten in the NPFL regular season, only to end up empty-handed in the Playoff Championship.
Insurance had come close in the 16th minute when Deputy Echeta hit the ball hard and goalkeeper Detan Ogundare spilled the shot, only for the rebound to be diverted.
A minute into the restart, Rangers’ Shedrack Asiegbu let fly from the left side, but the effort went over the bar.
In the 55th minute, Insurance goalkeeper Amos Obasogie spilled a shot from Rangers’ Godwin Obaje but there was no follow-up, and in the 70th minute, Osarenkhoe’s intelligent chip from a free-kick was tipped over the sticks by Ogundare.
Women’s FA Cup Final
In the women’s final played earlier same day, Cup holders Bayelsa Queens retained the trophy with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat of Rivers Angels after regulation time ended 0-0.
Former junior international goalkeeper Onyinye Okeke save from Angels’ substitute Sofia Agyaakwa before Zainab Olapade scored to give joy to the Bayelsa fans.
Cash Rewards
Women’s champions Bayelsa Queens pocketed the sum of 10 million naira while Rivers Angels were N5 million naira richer.
Men’s winners Insurance went home with the sum of 15 million naira while Rangers International got the sum of N7.5 million.
Rivers Angels’ forward Adaobi Okah won the top scorer award in the women’s category with her five goals, while Lobi Stars’ Joseph Atule and Kwara United’s Kamal Samad tied for the same award in the men’s category with four goals each.
