Ahmadu Bello Stadium Hosts Nigeria’s First Northern Derby Football Final In 21 Years.

Ahmadu Bello Stadium is set to host the Nigerian football national cup final for the fourth time on Sunday as Kano Pillars and Niger Tornadoes clash in the 2019 Aiteo Cup.

The 55-year old stadium had hosted the final matches in 1993, 1997 and 2003. Another arena in Kaduna, the Ranchers Bees Stadium, hosted the 1998 edition when Ahmadu Bello Stadium was under renovation.

This year’s final is the first all-northern team final match in 21 years since the 1998 clash of Wikki Tourists of Bauchi and Plateau United of Jos.

When the final match was played at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba last year, it meant that 14 arenas have hosted the final matches since the competition began in 1945.

The national cup final, which began as Governor’s Cup had its origin at Onikan Stadium which was then known as Association Ground. It hosted the national final under different names from 1945 to 1972 as it changed names from Association Ground to King George V and later to Lagos City Stadium.

It never hosted the final under its present name of Onikan Stadium, a name it adopted after the old structure was pulled down in 1974 and rebuilt by Lateef Jakande’s government in the early 1980s.

It last hosted the then Challenge Cup in 1972 in an ill-tempered match between Mighty Jets and the then Bendel Insurance. The match ended 2-2 and had to be replayed. It was the last time a national final match was held at the waterfront arena.

For the first time, the final was moved to Ibadan at the then Liberty Stadium, now renamed Obafemi Awolowo Stadium. The 1974 final was played at the newly built National Stadium, Lagos where successive editions were held uninterrupted till the 1988 edition which held at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.

The fifth stadium to host the final match was Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi in 1989. It was in Bauchi that history was made when for the first time in 36 years; a club from the North won the national Cup.

The relatively unknown and young Amodu Shaibu coached BCC Lions to beat a higher rated Iwuanyanwu Nationale 1-0.

The Bauchi stadium went on to host in 1994. Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi was the sixth host in 1992. It hosted again in 2008.

Sports Village Square recalls that the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna in 1993 became the seventh host. Since then, the arena that was inaugurated on August 2, 1964 hosted again in 1997 and 2003.

The eighth host was Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna in 1998. Ogbemudia Stadium hosted in 2004 as the ninth arena while Liberation Stadium, now renamed Yakubu Gowon Stadium hosted the following year.

The MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta became the 10th stadium to host the then FA Cup in 2006. For the first time, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos hosted the final in 2007 a role it repeatedly played in 2009 and from 2011 to 2016.

The 12th stadium to host the final match was Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano in 2010. The Agege Stadium in Lagos hosted the final match for the first time in 2017 while Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba became the 14th arena to host the Nigerian cup final in 2018.

Past National Cup Final Matches Venues

Association Ground, Lagos (Later Lagos City Stadium) 1945 to 1972)

Liberty Stadium, Ibadan (Now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium) 1972 replay.

National Stadium, Lagos. 1974 -1987, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999-2002.

Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan. 1988.

Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi. 1989, 1994.

Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi. 1992, 2008.

Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna. 1993, 1997, 2003.

Ranchers Bees Stadium, Kaduna. 1998.

Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin. 2004.

Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt (now Yakubu Gowon Stadium). 2005.

Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. 2007, 2009, 2011 – 2016.

Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano. 2010.

Agege Stadium, Lagos. – 2017

Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba – 2018