From the Challenge Cup to FA Cup, the elite Nigerian soccer trophy eluded Kwara State for 58 years until victory came at last during the tenure of Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq who was in Lagos on June 28, 2025, to embrace History and kiss the President/Federation Cup.
Kwara United defeated Abakaliki 4-3 penalties after a barren draw in regulation time. That triumph wiped the tears of 1976 when Alyufsalam Rocks, Ilorin lost 2-0 to Enugu Rangers in the Challenge Cup grand finale.
Abdulrazaq is not just a governor, he is so much into soccer, having represented Kwara at the First National Sports Festival, Lagos 1973. Coming back to Lagos to win also erased the pain of losing to Mid – Western State in Eko, 52 years back.
The Kwara Junior team fell 3 – 1 to the Mid – Westerners. The winners had players like Bright Omokaro, Humphrey Edobor, Sam Okpodu, Charles Kentebe, Eric Afejuku and Uyinwen Okungbowa. That was a squad that hit Western State 8-0. Afejuku was the Festivals Junior Soccer leading scorer.
Abdulrazaq’s team paraded Toyin Adisa, Sule Ibrahim Gegele, Kayode Abdulwahab – Omotose, Moshood Omolomo, Lanre Durosinlorun, among others. Petit Abdulwahab Omotose played without cleats in the first half only to return after resumption wearing Puma boots.
Mid – Western State won the Junior soccer gold. Their Intermediates, packed full with stars like Thompson Usiyen, Frank Onwuachi, Solo Etoroma, Francis Ossai and Fitting Amenawon, also won gold. The Senior gold went to East Central State Spartans of Dominic Nwobodo, Christian Chukwu, Emmanuel Okala, Patrick Ekeji, Dominic Ezeani, Godwin Ogbueze and Ken Ilodigwe.
Abdulrazaq was not happy that Alyufsalam did not win the Challenge Cup in 1976. One man, Chimezie ‘Watch Me’ Ngadi, destroyed the Ilorin club with a brace. The coach who took Abdulrazaq to Lagos in 1973, Usman Adenuga, was also in charge in 1976.
The major story of the 1976 Challenge Cup grand finale was that Alyufsalam came to Eko with 10 Ghanaians and a lone Nigerian, Humphrey Okechukwu. The foreigners included Owura Agyei, Charles Tetteh, Ahmed Nalado, Charles Koranteng, Moses Allotey and Lator.
Club proprietor, Alhaji Yusuf Adebayo Salami, recruited most of the players from Korley Park, in the Sabon Zango area of Accra. Christian Madu who played for Rangers was actually in Nigeria to join the Ilorin team but the Flying Antelopes ambushed him in Lagos and lured the midfielder to Enugu.
Madu, also known as Gabu, was fluent in Hausa and a year earlier was in the Accra Great Olympics squad that lost home and away to Rangers in the first round of the CAF Champions League. Okechukwu left Ilorin for Enugu after the 1976 Challenge Cup loss.
Kwara United’s victory over Abakaliki, should heal old wounds. Coach of the losing team, Ifeanyi Onyedika, played for Enugu Rangers and won the Challenge Cup with the Coal City Boys.
Ifeanyi’s elder brother, Emeka Onyedika, was part of the Rangers team that defeated Alyufsalam in 1976. The Senior Onyedika was nicknamed Owusu, possibly after the Ghanaian Black Star, Kwasi Owusu. Ifeanyi is also known as Ahidjo, after former Cameroonian leader, Ahmadu Ahidjo.
Another member of the Rangers’ 1976 Challenge Cup winning team, Nwabueze ‘Bulldozer’ Nwankwo, played for Abakaliki before crossing over to Enugu. And like Owura Agyei of Alyufsalam, Nwankwo once starred for a Jos team.
The Kwara State governor did not only play soccer, he still eats football. Here is a man who has driven himself severally across the West African Sub Region, to watch Super Eagles.
Abdulrazaq, having lived in Cote d’Ivoire when his father, Abdul Ganiyu Abdulrazaq, was the Nigerian Ambassador, and independently as an oil magnet knows all the frontiers of ECOWAS. He was visible in Mali during the 2002 African Nations Cup. The man was also part of Burkina Faso 1998.
The governor knows the route that will take a tourist from Cotonou to Natitingou, from Bamako to Mopti, from Abidjan to Seguela and Ouagadougou to Bobo Dioulasso.
Beyond Africa, he has followed the Eagles to Europe and America. All these trips were self sponsored. Abdulrazaq did not wait for or lobby to be included in the official government delegation. Early movement to tournament venues thrilled him.
