Emmanuel Thomas I November 03, 2016
Abuja, Nigeria – Clubs plying their trade in the Nigerian Professional League (NPFL), the Challenge Cup, Governors cup and the rest have come a long way.
They have battled one another for personal honour, their club and most especially to put Nigeria in the League of Nations noted for playing football.
It has not been easy, some clubs fell along the way, but all the same we honour their courage while some went through the rigours of changing their names to meet up with current reality.
We present Nigeria clubs, the way they have fared since 1942 courtesy, Nigerian Football Federation(NFF).
WAR MEMORIAL CHALLENGE CUP
1942: ZAC Bombers 1-0 Services FC
1943: Lagos Marine 3-2 RAF FC
1944: Lagos Railways 2-0 Lagos Marine
1945: Lagos Railways 1-1 Lagos United
*Railway won 4-1 on penalty shootout
GOVERNOR’S CUP
1945: Marine FC 1-0 Corinthians
1946: Lagos Railways 3-1 Port Harcourt FC
1947: Lagos Marine 3-1 Lagos Railways
1948: Lagos Railways 1-0 Warri XI
1949: Lagos Railways 3-0 Port Harcourt FC
1950: Lagos UAC 3-2 Port Harcourt FC
1951: Lagos Railways 3-2 Mighty Jets
1952: PAN Bank 6-0 Warri XI
1953: Kano XI 2-1 Lagos Dynamos
FA CUP
1954: Calabar XI 3-0 Kano XI
1955: Port Harcourt FC 4-1 Warri XI
1956: Lagos Railways 3-1 Warri XI
1957: Lagos Railways 5-1 Zaria XI
1958: Port Harcourt FC 6-0 Federal United
1959: Ibadan Lions 1-0 Police FC
CHALLENGE CUP
1960: Lagos ECN 5-2 Ibadan Lions
1961: Ibadan Lions 1-0 Lagos UAC
1962: Police FC 1-0 Mighty Jets
1963: Port Harcourt FC 1-0 Mighty Jets
1964: Lagos Railways 3-1 Mighty Jets
1965: Lagos ECN 3-1 Mighty Jets
1966: Ibadan Lions W/O Mighty Jets
1967: Stationery Stores 3-1 Mighty Jets
1968: Stationery Stores 3-1 Warri XI
1969: Ibadan Lions 5-1 Warri XI
1970: Lagos ECN 3-1 Mighty Jets
1971: WNDC Ibadan 2-1 Enugu Rangers
1972: Bendel Insurance 3-2 Mighty Jets
1973: No competition, as a result of 2nd of All-Africa Games
1974: Enugu Rangers 2-0 Mighty Jets
1975: Enugu Rangers 1-0 Shooting Stars
1976: Enugu Rangers 2-0 Alyufsalam Rocks
1977: Shooting Stars 2-0 Raccah Rovers
1978: Bendel Insurance 3-0 Enugu Rangers
1979: Shooting Stars 2-0 Sharks FC
1980: Bendel Insurance 1-0 Stationery Stores
1981: Enugu Rangers 2-0 Bendel Insurance
1982: Stationery Stores 4-1 Niger Tornadoes
Enugu Rangers 0-0 DIC Bees
*Rangers won 5-4 on penalty shootout
1984: Leventis United 1-0 Abiola Babes
1985: Abiola Babes 0-0 BCC Lions
*Abiola Babes won 6 – 5 on penalty shootout
1986: Leventis United 1-0 Abiola Babes
1987: Abiola Babes 1-1 Ranchers Bees
*Abiola Babes won 7-6 on penalty shootout
1988: Iwuanyanwu Nationale 3-0 Flash Flamingoes
1989: BCC Lions 1-0 Iwuanyanwu Nationale
1990: Stationery Stores 0-0 Enugu Rangers
*Stores won 5-4 on penalty shootout
1991: El-Kanemi Warriors 3-2 Kano Pillars F.C.
1992: El-Kanemi Warriors 1-0 Stationery Stores
1993: BCC Lions 1-0 Plateau United
1994: BCC Lions 1-0 Julius Berger FC
1995: Shooting Stars 2-0 Katsina United
1996: Julius Berger 1-0 Katsina United
1997: BCC Lions 1-0 Katsina United
1998: Wikki Tourists 0-0 Plateau United
1999: Plateau United 1-0 Iwuanyanwu Nationale
2000: Tornadoes FC 1-0 Enugu Rangers
2001: Dolphins FC 2-0 El-Kanemi Warriors
2002: Julius Berger FC 3-0 Yobe Stars
2003: Lobi Stars 2-0 Sharks FC
2004: Dolphins FC 1-0 Enugu Rangers
2005: Enyimba FC 1-1 Lobi Stars
*Enyimba won 6-5 on penalty shootout
2006: Dolphins FC 2-2 Bendel Insurance
*Dolphins won 5-3 on penalty shootout
2007: Dolphins FC 1-1 Enugu Rangers
* Dolphins won 3-2 on penalty shootout
2008: Ocean Boys 2-2 Gombe United
* Ocean Boys won 7-6 on penalty shootout
2009: Enyimba FC 1-0 Sharks FC
2010: Kaduna United 3-3 Enyimba FC
* Kaduna United won 3-2 on penalty shootout
2011: Heartland FC 1-0 Enyimba FC
2012: Heartland FC 2-1 Lobi Stars
2013 Enyimba FC 2-2 Warri Wolves
*Enyimba won 5-4 on penalty shootout
2014: Enyimba FC 2 Dolphins FC 1
2015: Akwa United 2 Lobi Stars 1
I wish my darling Nigeria football club side Leventis United a glorious resurgence back to Nigeria football league. Since they’ve gone into extinction,I find it difficult supporting any other Nigeria football club.
I’m an ardent supporter of our local football league, I’m also disappointed in some of our club sides reason why they change their names to meet up with the so call current reality.
If the notable football club sides in the northern and southern African still maintain their names despite the year they were founded,I see no reason why football club sides like Spartan fc would change to Heartland,Sharks of Port-Harcourt changed to Rivers United,IICC ss fc changed to 3sc,Kwara Bombers changed to Kwara United.
Why can’t their former names be maintained for unique identity. I still appreciate our traditional club sides like Bendel Insurancefc,Bendel United f c,Calabar Rovers fc,El-Kanemi Warriors fc,Rangers of Enugu fc,Enyimba fc,Gombe United fc,Kano Pillars fc,Lobi stars fc,Mighty Jets fc,Niger Tornadoes fc,Plateau United fc,Sunshine stars fc,.
If it is possible to encourage the following football club sides to come back: Abiola Babes,ACB of Lagos,Alyufsalam Rocks,Spartan fc,Concord fc,Corinthians fc,Exide fc,Eagle Cement fc,Flash Flamingoes fc,Demo Scorpion fc,Highlanders of Jos fc,IBL of Ilesa,Jasper United,Julius Berger fc,JIB Rocks fc,Leventis United fc,Mobil Pegasus fc,Marine fc of Lagos,Nigerdock fc,Vasco da gama fc,Nasco Jet of Jos fc,Obanta United,Premier Breweries fc,Raccah Rovers fc,Ranchers Bees fc,Railway fc,Sharks of Port-Harcourt,Stationery Stores fc, Standard fc of Jos,Steel Pioneer fc,Udoji United,.
If there is healthy competition in each state,it will eradicate local champion,we shall be able to compete in Africa club football competition and our league will not just be as usual. May my dream turn reality of the come back of the afore mentioned club sides, thanks.