Akwa United Shocks Lobi Stars To Win Federation Cup.

                            

Against all expectations, Akwa United yesterday defeated favourites Lobi Stars 2-1 to claim their first ever Nigeria Federation Cup at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

The Akwa Ibom owned team reconfirmed that its Match Day 38 defeat of the Benue team in Uyo that made the Promise Keepers remain in the topflight of the Nigerian professional  league was no fluke.
Nonso Edo set the ball rolling for Akwa United when his free-kick in the 36th minute found the back of Lobi net. The kick was the resultant of the infringement on Friday Ubong in the 18-yard box of Lobi.

All efforts by Lobi to cancel the advantage of Akwa met stiff resistance all through the first stanza. The effort continued in the second half but instead of reprieve, it was Abdulafeez Awakan who doubled the advantage for Akwa United in the 70th minute.
Awakan rifled home powerfully in the peripheral of Lobi box to send Akwa Ibom fans in the stands into endless celebration of a historic Federation Cup already within their reach.

Barnabas Imengar Jnr who came on as a sub however got a consolatory goal for Lobi in stoppage time from a brilliantly taken free kick. The goal was not enough to ease the pains of thousands of Benue State indigenes who were hoping to pick another Federation Cup after former BCC Lions had set the pace with the old Challenge Cup in Bauchi in 1989.

Lobi had similarly won this cup in 2003 and were hoping for an encore.
The last time Akwa United came close to winning Federation Cup was two years ago when they reached the last four. But they were stopped in their tracks by Warri Wolves.

By this victory, Akwa United will represent Nigeria in next year's CAF Confederation Cup.