Mass withdrawals, walkovers rock Aiteo Cup
The ongoing 2022 Aiteo Cup competition has been hit with several club withdrawals as its reaches the quarter-final stage, The PUNCH reports.
Speculations are rife that the teams were protesting the Nigeria Football Federation's nomination of Kwara United of Ilorin for the CAF Confederation Cup, which is usually allotted to the winners of the Aiteo Cup.
Kwara United, who placed fourth in the NPFL last season, were listed as the country's second representatives in the CAF Confederation Cup, as the NFF sought to beat the deadline of its clubs representatives to the Confederation of Africa.
Niger Tornadoes, who defeated Dreams FC, Enyimba and Green Beret in the preliminary rounds, walked over Lobi Stars of Makurdi, who failed to show up for their quarter-final clash in Jos on Wednesday.
Kogi United also walked over Kano Pillars — who also didn't show up in Makurdi — and were scheduled to face the winners of the clash between Wikki Tourists and Nasarawa United, but both the Solid Miners and the Tourists failed to turn up in Kaduna, which sealed Kogi United's place in the final of the competition next Wednesday.
Kogi United will now play the winners of the semi-final tie between Niger Tornadoes and Heartland.
Heartland defeated Enugu Rangers 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out after regulation time ended goalless on Thursday morning, the media officer of the Naze Millionaires Solomon Onu told The PUNCH.
This was after both clubs refused to dress up for the clash in Ilorin a day earlier.
Heartland had edged Dakkada and Katsina United in their previous rounds of the competitions.
This year's finals of the Aiteo Cup for both men and women's events hold at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa August 17.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq Agbarigidoma Ibrahim Abdulqadir Abikan Shehu Adaramaja Saka Balikis Kehinde Mufutau Olatinwo Jimoh Lambe Abdulkareem Sa\'adu Salau Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria Gbenga Awoyale Abdulkadir Jimoh Omotoso Kwara State Pension Board Lai Gobir Mahmud Durosinlohun Atiku Sulyman Abdulkareem Marafan Shonga Gobirawa Suleiman Abubakar Aminat Ahmed Face Masks Federal Allocation Susan Modupe Oluwole Kwara State Fire Service Abdulkadir Bolakale Sakariyah Salman Jawondo Adeola Abraham Olatunji Ibrahim CELF Taibat Ayinke Ahmed Yakubu Mohammed Abdullahi Abdulfatai Baakini Yoonus Kola Olatinwo PPS Umar Saro Olatunde Jare Abdulganiyu Salahudeen Muhammed Mahe Abdulkadir Bilikisu Gambari Sarakite Mahee Abdulkadir Dan Masanin University Road Amuda Musbau Hassan Saliu Gbadeyan Gbadura Yomi Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yusuf Ali Kwara United Olayinka Are Garba Dogo Clara Nwachukwu Shehu Salau Zulkifli Ibraheem Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye Ibraheem Abdullateef Ahmed Bolaji Nagode Bilikisu Oniyangi Ejidongari Raji AbdulRasaq Salihu Yahaya Olota Of Odo-Owa Olatomiwa Williams Peter Obi Saduki Lafiagi Jalala Durosinlohun Kawu Abatemi-Usman COVID Jebba Magaji Are Mohammed Kamaludeen Abubakar Aliagan National Democratic Congress Ilorin Anchor Men And Women Bamidele Adegoke Oladimeji Opolo Global Innovation Limited

