It’s the Repeat of the 1998 Final at the Federation Cup Draw As Heartland Draws Bye.

Fed Cup.
Fed Cup.

Thursday’s Federation Cup draws held in Abuja has interesting line ups as cup holders Heartland of Owerri were drawn bye.

Former cup winners Plateau United and Wikki Tourist slugs it out in the Round of 32. Plateau United won the FA Cup in 1999 as Wikki won the previous year. In the 1998 final, United were coincidentally the losing side against Wikki.

Thursday’s draw will have both teams go head- to- head again this year.

Prime FC, last year’s third- placed team, will be up against former Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Bayelsa United.

Gateway FC will face 3SC in the battle of two South- West teams, while another big game of the round is between Crown FC and Lobi Stars.

Last year winners of the Federation Cup were drawn bye into the next round of the 2013 Federation Cup as defending champions.

Chinedu Efugh, captain of the Owerri club expressed delights that his team has been spared of additional fixture this season after hearing about the draws.

“I hear we have been drawn bye. Of course we deserve it as champions. Also we won’t have to bother ourselves about playing more games and that allows us prepare well to defend our title,” Efugh said.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is yet to confirm the dates and venues for the cup matches.fed_cup

Federation Cup Fixtures
Gombe United v Bussdor FC
Akwa United v Yarma Light FC
Gateway FC v 3SC
Crown FC v Lobi Stars
Ingas (Enugu) v Ranchers Bees
J. Atete (Delta) v Bendel Insurance
Sharks v Kogi United
Makwada v Grays (Osun)
Enugu Rangers v Dan Lawan (Jigawa)
Rising Stars v Samba Kurna
Plateau United v Wikki Tourists
El-Kanemi Babes v Niger Tornadoes
Warri Wolves v Dynamite (Edo)
Katsina Spotlight v Bago Mission (Zamfara)
El-Kanemi Warriors v Apa United
Global Academy v Kano Pillars
Leopard FC (Cross River) v FC Taraba
Adamawa United v Nasarawa United
COD United v FC Lokoja
Nembe City v Igbo Ambassadors (Ebonyi)
Fountain (Ekiti) v Sunshine Stars
Shettima United (Zamfara) v Remo FC
Enyimba v Police Machine
Fadama FC (Kebbi) v Juth FC
Dolphins v NAF (FCT)
Akwa Starlets v Kwara United
Junior Dandura v Abia Warriors
Kaduna United v Unicem Rovers
Arewa Pillars v ABS
Prime FC v Bayelsa United
MFM FC (Lagos) v Court of Appeal