THE NIGERIAN FA CUP

AN OVERVIEW

The Nigerian FA Cup (AKA the Challenge Cup or since 2009 Federation Cup) is the main football single-elimination tournament in Nigeria. It was created in 1945 as the "Governor's Cup", succeeding the War Memorial Challenge Cup that had been limited to teams from Lagos

HISTORY

The earliest cup for senior sides was the Mulford Cup, founded in 1938 and played between Lagos clubs. It was competed for until 1952. Before, the Bergedorf Cup (later renamed Zard Cup) was founded, contested between junior sides in Lagos. In 1948 the Zard Cup was re-assigned to a competition for secondary schools.
During the war years, the War Memorial Challenge Cup was launched and succeeded by the Governor's Cup in 1945 (with 9 teams, all from Lagos, entering the initial competition (other source: 13 participants); the first team from outside Lagos to enter were Aebokuta in 1946, followed by Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri in 1948), which was renamed Challenge Cup after Nigeria's independence and developed into the main cup competition of Nigeria. It initially was played in four regional areas (North, East, West and Lagos Capital Territory) who sent their winners to the final play-offs in Lagos. In 1963 the Western Region was split into two, with the Mid-West becoming the fifth region. In 1958, Port Harcourt Red Devils beat Ikot Ekpene 18-0 for the record score in the competition; Ibadan once defeated Ekiti 17-0.
Prior to 1945, various provincial trophies were at stake in different parts of Nigeria: the Comet Cup (in the North), Unafrico Cup (in the East), Pilot Cup (in Lagos), and Thermogene Cup (in the West; involving (city selections from?) Benin, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Warri). Zik's Athletic Club (ZAC) won the City of Lagos Cup 1932 (apparently not a 'senior' competition).


WINNERS

War Memorial Challenge Cup

• 1942 : ZAC Bombers 1-0 Services
• 1943 : Lagos Marine 3-2 RAF
• 1944 : Lagos Railways 2-0 Marine
• 1945 : Lagos Railways 1-1 (4-1) Lagos United

Governor's Cup

• 1945 : Marine 1-0 Corinthians
• 1946 : Lagos Railways 3-1 Port Harcourt
• 1947 : Marine 3-1 Lagos Railways
• 1948 : Lagos Railways 1-0 Warri
• 1949 : Lagos Railways 3-0 Port Harcourt
• 1950 : Lagos UAC 3-2 Port Harcourt
• 1951 : Lagos Railways 3-2 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1952 : Lagos PAN Bank 6-0 Warri (Mid-West)
• 1953 : Kano Pillars 2-1 Lagos Dynamos

FA Cup

• 1954 : Calabar 3-0 Kano Pillars
• 1955 : Port Harcourt FC 4-1 Warri
• 1956 : Lagos Railways 3-1 Warri
• 1957 : Lagos Railways 5-1 Zaria
• 1958 : Port Harcourt FC 6-0 Federal United
• 1959 : Ibadan Lions 1-0 Lagos Police

Nigeria Challenge Cup

• 1960 : Lagos ECN 5-2 Ibadan Lions
• 1961 : Ibadan Lions 1-0 Lagos UAC
• 1962 : Police Machine 1-0 Mighty Jets(Jos)
• 1963 : Port Harcourt FC 1-0 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1964 : Lagos Railways 3-1 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1965 : Lagos ECN 3-1 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1966 : Ibadan Lions beat Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1967 : Stationery Stores (Lagos) 3-1 Mighty Jets(Jos)
• 1968 : Stationery Stores (Lagos) 3-1 (r.) Warri
• 1969 : Ibadan Lions 5-1 Warri
• 1970 : Lagos ECN 3-1 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1971 : WNDC Ibadan 2-1 Enugu Rangers
• 1972 : Bendel Insurance (Benin City) 2-2 3-2 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1973 : -
• 1974 : Enugu Rangers 2-0 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1975 : Enugu Rangers 1-0 Shooting Stars (Ibadan)
• 1976 : Enugu Rangers 2-0 Alyufsalam Rocks (Ilorin)
• 1977 : Shooting Stars (Ibadan) 2-0 Racca Rovers (titre attribué 2-0 à Shooting Stars)
• 1978 : Bendel Insurance 3-0 Enugu Rangers
• 1979 : Shooting Stars (Ibadan) 2-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)
• 1980 : Bendel Insurance (Benin City) 1-0 Stationery Stores (Lagos)
• 1981 : Enugu Rangers 2-0 Bendel Insurance (Benin City)
• 1982 : Stationery Stores (Lagos) 4-1 Niger Tornadoes (Minna)
• 1983 : Enugu Rangers 0-0 (5 t.a.b. à 4) DIC Bees (Kaduna)
• 1984 : Leventis United (Ibadan) 1-0 Abiola Babes (Abeokuta)
• 1985 : Abiola Babes (Abeokuta) (6 t.a.b. à 5) BCC Lions (Gboko)
• 1986 : Leventis United (Ibadan) 1-0 Abiola Babes (Abeokuta)
• 1987 : Abiola Babes (Abeokuta) 1-1 (7 t.a.b. à 6) Ranchers Bees
• 1988 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri) 3-0 Flash Flamingoes
• 1989 : BCC Lions (Gboko) 1-0 Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 1990 : Stationery Stores (Lagos) 0-0 (5 t.a.b. à 4) Enugu Rangers
• 1991 : El-Kanemi Warriors (Maiduguri) 3-2 Kano Pillars
• 1992 : El-Kanemi Warriors (Maiduguri) 1-0 Stationery Stores (Lagos)
• 1993 : BCC Lions (Gboko) 1-0 Plateau United (Jos)
• 1994 : BCC Lions (Gboko) 1-0 Julius Berger (Lagos)
• 1995 : Shooting Stars (Ibadan) 2-0 Katsina United
• 1996 : Julius Berger (Lagos) 1-0 (a.p.) Katsina United
• 1997 : BCC Lions (Gboko) 1-0 Katsina United
• 1998 : Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) 0-0 (3 t.a.b. à 2) Plateau United (Jos)
• 1999 : Plateau United (Jos) 1-0 Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 2000 : Niger Tornadoes (Minna) 1-0 Enugu Rangers
• 2001 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 2-0 El-Kanemi Warriors (Maiduguri)
• 2002 : Julius Berger (Lagos) 3-0 Yobe Stars (Damaturu)
• 2003 : Lobi Stars (Makurdi) 2-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)
• 2004 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 1-0 Enugu Rangers
• 2005 : Enyimba FC (Aba) 1-1 (aet, 6-5 pen) Lobi Stars (Makurdi)
• 2006 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 2-2 (aet, 5-3 pen) Bendel Insurance
• 2007 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 1-1 [aet, 3-2 pen] Enugu Rangers
• 2008 : Ocean Boys FC (Brass) 2-2 [aet, 7-6 pen] Gombe United
• 2009 : Enyimba FC (Aba) 1-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)