Dolphins hope to conquer champions Enyimba - Fed Cup

Enyimba players with the Super 4 trophy... on Tuesday.

Four-time champions Dolphins are hoping to wrest the Federation Cup from current champions Enyimba, when both sides clash in the final of Nigeria’s oldest football competition on Sunday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

In the final of the women version of the Cup, Sunshine Queens are also aiming to overcome star-studded Rivers Angels, who have won the last three editions.

Dolphins overcame hard-fighting Prime FC 1-0 in the semi-final in Abuja courtesy of a 46th minute goal by Ebube Okpokwu while Giwa FC also fell to Enyimba by the same margin.

Both sides have been the most dominant in the competition since 2004 with Dolphins winning it four times and Enyimba emerging champions thrice.

Lagos fans will be anxious to watch how league top strikers Mfon Udoh (Enyimba) and Emem Eduok (Dolphins) fare on TeslimBalogun’s AstroTurf.

Dolphins defender, Victor Ezuruike, said his side are in Lagos to claim their fifth Cup title.

“We’ll certainly return to Port Harcourt with the Federation Cup trophy. We may have already earned a ticket to Africa by default but we want to prove to everyone that we deserve the Confederation Cup ticket with a victory against Enyimba on Sunday,” the powerful defender told supersport.com.

But Enyimba coach, Kadiri Ikhana is also talking tough, saying the two-time African champions are in Lagos to equal Dolphins Cup haul.

“We have struggled to get to this stage and we won’t trade it for anything. The players know the importance of our being here and they have vowed to do their best to ensure that we don’t end the season without a trophy added to our collection,” Ikhana told Goal.

Rivers Angels edged out Delta Queens 2-1 in the semi-final to set up a final date with Sunshine Queens, who defeated Nasarawa Angels 7-6 on penalties in the last-four stage.

Angels will be relying on the dangerous Asisat Oshoala to wreak havoc on their opponents but she would have a tough match in Queens’ goalkeeper, FunkeOkewole, whose outstanding performances helped her side reach the final of the competition.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government will honour ailing ex-Stationery Stores captain Yomi Peters and 12 other superstars of the Federation Cup during the final ceremony.