Head coach of El-Kanemi Warriors, Aliyu Zubairu, has attributed the team’s victory in the 2024 President Federation Cup to the zeal and hunger of his youthful squad.
The Maiduguri side claimed their third Federation Cup title on Saturday by defeating Abia Warriors 2-0 in the men’s final at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan, Lagos. Midfielder, Nasiru Salihu named Man of the Match, redeemed himself after missing an early penalty by scoring both goals in each half to secure a dominant victory.
The win marks the second significant achievement for El-Kanemi Warriors under Zubairu, who also led the team back to promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League for the upcoming season. Zubairu revealed in the post-match interview “When we started, the players I assembled were young and hungry; they wanted to make a name for themselves,”. “At one point, we were competing in the NNL and the President Federation Cup, which was challenging. However, our initial strategy of recruiting younger players paid off because they could endure the hardships, and we eventually succeeded in the competition.”
In addition to winning the Federation Cup, El-Kanemi Warriors will also compete on the continental stage next season as Nigeria’s second team in the CAF Confederation Cup, alongside Enyimba.
Zubairu also stated that the team will retain its young players for their upcoming campaign. “The reality is that if Europeans can have faith in young players, why can’t we do the same? I’m not saying there aren’t experienced players who could perform well across the continent, but we shouldn’t deny the younger ones the opportunity. Age does not play football, and the younger, the better.”
