•History favors me- Enyimba coach
BY EMMA NJOKU
It promises to be a battle royale this afternoon inside the main bowl of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surlere, Lagos when Enyimba International of Aba and Warri Wolves square up in the epic final of this year’s Federation Cup championship.
Today’s final will be Enyimba’s fifth since the Aba People’s Elephant defeated Lobi Stars on penalties in its first Federation Cup final in 2005, and fourth final in the last five years since it beat Sharks of Port Harcourt 1-0 to lift the coveted trophy for the sec on time in 2009. Enyimba followed up in its second triumph in the glamorous competition with two consecutive finals in 2010 and 2011 but lost the trophy to Kaduna United and bitter arch-rival neighbour, Heartland of Owerri respectively.
Warri Wolves Football Club will be playing in the Federation Cup final for the first time and should the Solomon Ogbeide-tutored side win today’s match, it would be the first time any club from Warri or Delta State would lift the prestigious trophy.
In 1948, 1952 and 1955, Warri Football Club lost in the Federation Cup finals to Railways, Lagos PAN Bank and Port Harcourt FC respectively. Warri Wolves will, therefore, want to throw everything into the fray in today’s epic encounter to break the 68 years jinx.
Two players on whose shoulders rest much of the responsibility of ensuring that the Federation Cup goes to Warri after today’s clash are the Super Eagles’ duo of towering defender, Azubuike Egwuekwe and prolific striker, Oghenekaro Etebo. Both players who have been in top forms lately are expected to bring their national team experience to bear against a very formidable Enyimba side that boasts of more experienced players.
While Etebo, one of the top scorers in the Glo Premier League is certain to give Enyimba’s defence plenty of trouble, Egwuekwe will have full hands dealing with Enyimba’s talisman, Ifeanyi Ede who has been given defenders and goalkeepers in the domestic football scene nightmares in the current season.
Although the defense of both sides would be put to stiff test by the strikers today, Enyimba’s captain, Chinedu Udoji, would no doubt want to justify why he has continued to hug the headlines in the sporting media lately for keeping Enyimba’s goal deficit very minimal in the current Glo Premier League.
The atmosphere inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium today is expected to be charged considering the fans base of the two sides. Reports have it that both teams have concluded arrangements to mobilize their supporters in their thousands from their respective bases as well as in Lagos and its environs.
This is in addition to the 10, 000 fans being mobilized by the Lagos State government to ensure that the atmosphere inside the stadium would depict that of Wembley during the English FA Cup final.
Interestingly, both sides have met twice this season in the league in Aba and Warri and both games ended in barren draws. But today, a winner must emerge. Should the regulation time and extra time end in a stalemate, the match would be decided on penalties.
So, who will lift the 2013 Federation Cup? Will Enyimba win the trophy for the third time or will Warri Wolves win it for the first time?
Meanwhile, Enyimba head coach Salisu Yusuf says haven won the federation cup twice as a player, history favours him when he leads out his wards against Warri Wolves today.
Enyimba will play the game of their lives against Warri Wolves in the 2013 Federation Cup final after both sides have forced two draws in the Nigerian Premier League this season.
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