Two former Federation Cup champions, Dolphins and Enyimba, are looking to reach the showpiece match of Nigeria’s oldest football competition billed for the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos in August.
Dolphins has played in four Cup finals in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007 and have won on all four occasions.
Enyimba has played in five showpiece games of the Cup but have won it three times. In fact they have reached the Cup final four times in the last five editions.
The People’s Elephants won the Cup in 2005, 2009 and 2013 but were losing finalists to Kaduna United and Heartland in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Now the Aba club are looking to become the first team to defend their title since Dolphins won it in 2006 and 2007.
But the two-time African champions will have to see off Giwa FC first if they fancy reaching a sixth Cup finals.
Enyimba captain, Chinedu Udoji, recognises the hurdle Giwa FC pose before his team having dropped four points to them in the Glo Premier League including the 0-1 loss in Jos on Sunday.
“No I am not worried [that we haven’t beaten them this season]. It will make us to work more hard for the next game against them. No I am sure my team will not have any fear [for Giwa FC]. We respect all teams but don’t fear them,” he said ahead of the Federation Cup semifinal clash in Abeokuta on Thursday.
Giwa FC striker, Charles Okoro, will rather want to keep their plans in the bag as they seek to appear in a first-ever Cup final.[eap_ad_2]
“Football is not plus and minus but until after the final whistle [of the referee to determine the outcome]. But I tell you our achievement or feat as at today is by God’s design. I must be honest it will be tough [against Enyimba] because we drew them in Aba and defeated them in Jos. So this is third time we are meeting them and we hope to be third time lucky,” Okoro said to supersport.com.
Dolphins, on the other hand, face National League side, Prime FC, in Abuja and are hoping to reach their first Cup final in seven years.
Prime FC have so far reached the semis winning all of their previous clashes via penalties but Dolphins manager, Stanley Eguma, is unfazed by that fact.
“I will prepare for the game. I will prepare for all aspects and hope to win in regulation time, but if the game goes into penalties I will also be prepared for that too,” Eguma said.
Dolphins are also have in their ranks, two-time Cup winner, Emmanuel Olowo. The former Heartland and Sunshine Stars man has set his sight on guiding the Pride of Rivers to Lagos.
“I’ve won this before with Heartland in 2011 and 2012. It’s always a good feeling to play in the final and I want that experience again,” Olowo, who is billed to walk down the aisle next month, told supersport.com.
But Dolphins will have to overcome Prime FC in open play of 90 minutes or risk facing the Osogbo club’s 22-year-old penalty-stopping specialist, Adejare Adeniyi
Adeniyi has saved 10 spot kicks for Prime FC out of 20 during penalty shootouts in this year’s Cup games involving his club. (supersport.com)[eap_ad_3]
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