2019 Nigeria Federation Cup

The 2019 Nigeria Federation Cup (officially known as the 2019 AITEO Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 73rd edition of the Nigerian Federation Cup. It was held from 3 May till 28 July 2019.^[1] The competition was contested by 74 teams, all which qualified via their state championships.

2019 AITEO Cup

Tournament details
Country	Nigeria
Dates	3 May – 28 July 2019
Teams	74 (all) 64 (main competition)
Final positions
Champions	Kano Pillars (1st title)
Runners-up	Niger Tornadoes
CAF Confederation Cup	Niger Tornadoes[a]
Tournament statistics
Matches played	73
Goals scored	187 (2.56 per match)
← 2018 2021 →

Kano Pillars defeated Niger Tornadoes 4–3 on penalties after the match ended goalless to win their second AITEO Cup title since 1953.^[2] As runners-up, Niger Tornadoes qualified for the 2019–20 CAF Confederation Cup since Kano Pillars had qualified for the 2019–20 CAF Champions League.^[3]

Format

The competition was a single elimination knockout tournament, 74 teams qualified via their state championships as winners or runners-up. 54 teams qualified directly to the First Round while the 10 winners from the Rookie stages joined them. All matches were held on neutral venues.

Schedule

The schedule of the competition was as follows.^[1]

Stage	Dates
Rookie stage	3 May 2019
First round	25 May – 16 June 2019
Second round	19 & 20 June 2019
Third round	23 & 24 June 2019
Quarter-finals	28 June 2019
Semi-finals	4 July 2019
Final	28 July 2019 at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna

Rookie play-offs

Matches were played on 3 May 2019.

Club's states in brackets.

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Suleiman Boys (Jigawa)	0–8	Layin Zomo (Kaduna)
Gwandu (Kebbi)	5–2	Eaglets (Zamfara)
Setraco FC(FCT)	1–1 (3–2 p)	J.M Liberty (Benue)
Mai Anguwa (Adamawa)	0–1	Qatar Academy (Borno)
FC Lokoja (Kogi)	0–3	Niger Tornadoes Feeders (Niger)
FC Starplus (Enugu)	0–0 (3–4 p)	Heartland Comets (Imo)
Ben Ayade FC (Cross River)	0–0 (4–1 p)	Confine FC (Akwa Ibom)
J.K.F FC (Ekiti)	0–0 (3–4 p)	Police FC (Osun)
FC De Leo (Edo)	2–0	Abaye FC (Bayelsa)
Airtel FC (Taraba)	0–1	Yobe Desert Stars Feeders (Yobe)

First round

The 10 winners from the Rookie round joined the 54 teams already qualified for the main tournament. Matches were played between 25 May 2019 and 16 June 2019.

Club's states in brackets.

Team 1	Score	Team 2
25 May 2019
Yobe Desert Stars Feeders (Yobe)	0–1	Smart City FC (Lagos)
Osun United (Osun)	0–1	Shooting Stars (Oyo)
Ekiti United (Ekiti)	4–0	Ebonyi United (Ebonyi)
FC De Leo (Edo)	1–1 (4–5 p)	EFCC FC (FCT)
Crown F.C. (Oyo)	3–0	Bayelsa United (Bayelsa)
Amanda FC (Imo)	1–2	Calabar Rovers (Cross River)
Adamawa United (Adamawa)	0–7	ABS FC (Kwara)
26 May 2019
Gateway United (Ogun)	1–0	Almar FC(Ogun)
Cynosure FC (Ebonyi)	2–2 (5–3 p)	Mighty Jets F.C. (Plateau)
Aklosendi (Nasarawa)	3–1	Zabgai (Bauchi)
27 May 2019
Spartans FC (Lagos)	0–1	PH City F.C. (Rivers)
28 May 2019
Warri Wolves (Delta)	2–0	Doma United FC (Gombe)
Kogi United (Kogi)	3–3 (0–3 p)	Akure City (Ondo)[b]
12 June 2019
Kwara United (Kwara)	w/o	Ben Ayade FC (Cross River)
15 June 2019
Wikki Tourists (Bauchi)	4–0	Qatar Academy (Borno)
Walli Flamingoes (Zamfara)	0–4	Delta Force FC (Delta)
Sokoto United (Sokoto)	1–2	Akwa United (Akwa Ibom)
Setraco United (FCT)	0–4	Plateau United (Plateau)
Rivers United (Rivers)	4–0	Timber Loader FC (Taraba)
Niger Tornadoes (Niger)	3–0	Fasbir (Sokoto)
Kebbi United (Kebbi)	0–1	Lobi Stars (Benue)
Jigawa Golden Stars (Jigawa)	1–2	Bendel Insurance (Edo)
Gwandu (Kebbi)	2–4	Katsina United (Katsina)
Gombe United (Gombe)	w/o	Ifeanyi Ubah FC (Anambra)
Enugu Rangers (Enugu)	2–0	Niger Tornadoes Feeders (Niger)
Abia Warriors (Abia)	1–0	Heartland Comets (Imo)
16 June 2019
Police FC (Osun	0–6	El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno)
Layin Zomo (Kaduna)	1–2	Sunshine Stars (Ondo)
Katsina United Feeders (Katsina)	0–1	Nasarawa United (Nasarawa)
Enyimba (Abia)	3–1	Kano Pillars Feeders (Kano)
Aspire FC (Anambra)	0–4	Kano Pillars (Kano)
Ambassadors FC Zaria (Kaduna)	1–0	Yobe Desert Stars (Yobe)

Second round

The 32 winners from the First round competed at this round. Matches were played on 19 and 20 June 2019.

Club's states in brackets.

Team 1	Score	Team 2
19 June 2019
Smart City FC (Lagos)	3–2	Enyimba (Abia)
Rivers United (Rivers)	3–0	Akwa United (Akwa Ibom)
PH City FC (Rivers)	w/o	El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno)
Katsina United (Katsina)	0–2	Shooting Stars (Oyo)
Gombe United (Gombe)	0–1	Niger Tornadoes (Niger)
Gateway United (Ogun)	0–2	Abia Warriors (Abia)
Enugu Rangers (Enugu)	0–2	Lobi Stars (Benue)
Ekiti United (Ekiti)	2–4	Bendel Insurance (Edo)
EFCC FC (FCT)	1–0	Sunshine Stars (Ondo)
Delta Force (Delta)	0–0 (10–11 p)	Cynosure FC (Ebonyi)
Crown F.C. (Oyo)	1–1 (2–3 p)	Kwara United (Kwara)
Calabar Rovers (Cross River)	1–1 (4–2 p)	Wikki Tourists (Bauchi)
Ambassadors FC Zaria (Kaduna)	0–1	Warri Wolves (Delta)
Aklosendi (Nasarawa)	1–0	Nasarawa United (Nasarawa)
20 June 2019
Kogi United (Kogi)	0–3	Plateau United (Plateau)
ABS FC (Kwara)	0–1	Kano Pillars (Kano)

Third round

Sixteen teams participated in this round. Matches were played on 23 and 24 June 2019.

Club's states in brackets.

Team 1	Score	Team 2
23 June 2019
Smart City FC (Lagos)	0–0 (5–4 p)	Shooting Stars FC (Oyo)
Rivers United (Rivers)	2–0	Warri Wolves (Delta)
Lobi Stars (Benue)	3–1	Abia Warriors (Abia)
Cynosure FC (Ebonyi)	2–2 (4–5 p)	Niger Tornadoes (Niger)
Bendel Insurance (Edo)	1–1 (5–4 p)	El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno)
24 June 2019
Plateau United (Plateau)	0–0 (4–5 p)	Calabar Rovers (Cross River)
Kano Pillars (Kano)	0–0 (4–2 p)	Kwara United (Kwara)
EFCC FC (FCT)	0–1	Aklosendi (Nasarawa)

Smart City FC v Shooting Stars FC

23 June 2019	Smart City FC	0–0 (5–4 p)	Shooting Stars FC	Ijebu-Ode Stadium, Ijebu-Ode
17:00 (UTC+1)

Rivers United v Warri Wolves

23 June 2019	Rivers United	2–0	Warri Wolves	Yenagoa Township Stadium, Yenagoa
16:00 (UTC+1)	Martins 14' Adedipe 65'

Lobi Stars v Abia Warriors

23 June 2019	Lobi Stars	3–1	Abia Warriors	Akure Township Stadium, Akure
16:00 (UTC+1)	Mbah 26' (pen.) Aghahowa		Obi 6'

Cynosure FC v Niger Tornadoes

23 June 2019	Cynosure FC	2–2 (4–5 p)	Niger Tornadoes	Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi
17:00 (UTC+1)			Yusuf 55' Saib 75'

Bendel Insurance v El-Kanemi Warriors

23 June 2019	Bendel Insurance	1–1 (5–4 p)	El-Kanemi Warriors	Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos
17:00	44' (pen.)		Eze 70'  90'

Plateau United v Calabar Rovers

24 June 2019	Plateau United	0–0 (4–5 p)	Calabar Rovers
17:00 (UTC+1)

Kano Pillars v Kwara United

24 June 2019	Kano Pillars	0–0 (4–2 p)	Kwara United	FIFA Goal Project Stadium, Abuja
17:00 (UTC+1)			Akinmoladun  52'

EFCC FC v Aklosendi

24 June 2019	EFCC FC	0–1	Aklosendi	Confluence Stadium, Lokoja
17:00 (UTC+1)			Ambina 7'

Quarter-finals

Matches were played on 28 June 2019.

Club's states in brackets.

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Niger Tornadoes (Niger)	0–0 (5–4 p)	Smart City FC (Lagos)
Lobi Stars (Benue)	0–0 (3–4 p)	Rivers United (Rivers)
Kano Pillars	4–0	Aklosendi (Nasarawa)
Bendel Insurance (Edo)	0–0 (4–5 p)	Calabar Rovers (Cross River)

Niger Tornadoes v Smart City FC

28 June 2019	Niger Tornadoes	0–0 (5–4 p)	Smart City FC	Ilorin Township Stadium, Ilorin
16:00 (UTC+1)

Lobi Stars v Rivers United

28 June 2019	Lobi Stars	0–0 (3–4 p)	Rivers United	Ijebu-Ode Stadium, Ijebu-Ode
16:00 (UTC+1)

Kano Pillars v Aklosendi

28 June 2019	Kano Pillars	4–0	Aklosendi	Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna
16:00 (UTC+1)	Adamu 17', 36' Usman 44' (o.g.) Salisu 54'

Bendel Insurance v Calabar Rovers

28 June 2019	Bendel Insurance	0–0 (4–5 p)	Calabar Rovers	Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu
16:00 (UTC+1)

Semi-finals

Matches were played on 4 July 2019.

Club's states in brackets.

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Rivers United (Rivers)	1–2	Niger Tornadoes (Niger)
Calabar Rovers (Cross River)	1–1 (2–4 p)}	Kano Pillars (Kano)

Rivers United v Niger Tornadoes

4 July 2019	Rivers United	1–2	Niger Tornadoes	Agege Stadium, Lagos
16:00	Adedipe 16'		Asamoah-Frimpong 10' Saib 44'

Calabar Rovers v Kano Pillars

4 July 2019	Calabar Rovers	1–1 (2–4 p)	Kano Pillars	Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi
16:00

Final

The final was held on 28 July 2019 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna after it was moved from the original date 24 July 2019.^[4]

Club's states in brackets.

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Kano Pillars (Kano)	0–0 (4–3 p)	Niger Tornadoes (Niger)

Kano Pillars v Niger Tornadoes

28 July 2019	Kano Pillars	0–0 (4–3 p)	Niger Tornadoes	Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna
17:00 (UTC+1)		Report

2019 Aiteo Cup winners
Kano Pillars 1st title

Notes

1. Niger Tornadoes qualified as runners-up since Kano Pillars had qualified for the CAF Champions League.
2. Kogi United qualified to the next round in place of Akure City, as they couldn't honour their next fixture due to financial reasons.