Abakaliki FC, managed by former Super Eagles forward and 1980 AFCON winner Ifeanyi Onyedika, pulled off a sensational upset in the 2025 President Federation Cup by eliminating top-tier side Nasarawa United in a 5-4 penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
Nasarawa had taken the lead through Garba Abubakar late in the first half, but the underdogs responded with an equaliser just five minutes after the break via a spot-kick from Ifeanyi Ezema. With the scores level at full-time, the NNL side held their nerve in the shootout to reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history.
Overjoyed, Onyedika hailed the character and fearlessness of his team, who had already knocked out Katsina United and former champions Enyimba in earlier rounds. “These boys have made us proud. They’ve been tested by top-tier opposition and keep rising to the occasion,” he told Yohaig NG.
Abakaliki FC will now face another Premier League side, Ikorodu City FC, in the semi-finals on May 18. The other semi-final tie will feature Rangers International versus Kwara United.
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Editorial
This is the romance of the cup the kind of story that reminds us why knockout football continues to inspire. Abakaliki FC’s improbable journey to the semi-finals isn’t just about goals and penalties it’s a triumph of heart, preparation, and belief.
What Ifeanyi Onyedika has done with this group of players deserves recognition far beyond Federation Cup headlines. He’s taken a group of lesser-known, second-tier athletes and instilled in them a fearless mentality capable of challenging, and beating, Nigeria’s elite clubs. To eliminate Enyimba, Katsina United, and Nasarawa United in succession is no fluke it’s a footballing statement.
For years, critics have dismissed the lower leagues in Nigeria as lacking competitiveness. Abakaliki FC has flipped that narrative on its head. They’ve become the team everyone’s talking about not because of star names, but because of performance under pressure.
Now, they stand just two wins from making history. But whether or not they lift the trophy, their run has already injected life into the Federation Cup and reminded us all that ambition and teamwork can still break barriers in Nigerian football.
Did You Know?
- Ifeanyi Onyedika won the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, one of the country’s most celebrated national squads.
- Abakaliki FC is the first team from Ebonyi State to reach the semi-finals of the President Federation Cup.
- The President Federation Cup was formerly known as the FA Cup and has been held annually since 1945.
- Nasarawa United, one of the fallen giants in this year’s competition, were runners-up in the 2016 edition of the Federation Cup.
- Abakaliki FC has defeated three NPFL teams—Katsina United, Enyimba, and Nasarawa United—on their way to the 2025 semi-finals.
