Fed Cup has lost its glamour, lament ex-stars

Past stars of the Federation Cup have expressed worries over the  decline of the oldest football competition in the country.The final of the 2016 edition of the competition holds on Sunday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, with newcomers FC IfeanyiUbah and Nasarawa United battling for the title.Ex-stars Christian Chukwu, Friday Ekpo and Henry Nwosu said the competition had lost its appeal to the fans.
The former Nigeria stars, who spoke with our correspondent, said the competition needs a lot of reorganisation to bring back its lost glamour.Chukwu, who won the competition with Enugu Rangers in the 1970s, said, “The Federation Cup is no more what it used to be because it has continued to change over the years and it is a sad thing that the biggest football competition in Nigeria has lost its appeal to the public.“The continuous change in the date in which the final is played hasn’t helped at all. Back then every fan looked forward to the final of the FA Cup in May every year. It is a competition that is full of surprises and upsets. The upsets are still there though, but we now have a situation where teams win in manners that are not clear. There are protests concerning results of some matches played, which has also contributed to the loss of appeal to the fans.“The venue for the final of the Federation is always known in the 70s and it doesn’t change from the National Stadium, Lagos, but in recent years, the final has been moved a few times and no one can predict the stadium that will host the next final. The final used to be played on Saturdays but we are having it now on Sundays, which has not helped to attract the fans.“There was huge rivalries in the competition back then with no crisis but now there are lots of controversies in the Federation Cup. The 2016 final is on Sunday and virtually nobody is aware of it. That should remind the organisers that things have gone wrong. The competition needs a reorganisation and publicity to get back to its glorious days.”The former Super Eagles coach however believes that the presence of two new teams in the final of this year’s edition has made the competition to retain its competitive status.“The two teams in Sunday’s final are playing in their first final and it tells a lot about the level of competitiveness in the 2016 edition. It shows that the upsets which the competition is known for is still present,” he said.Former Eagles midfielder, Ekpo, who won the title with Abiola Babes in the 1980s, said the only similarity between a Federation Cup final in the past and now is the name.He said, “The Federation Cup is no longer living up to its billing. From when it was the Challenge Cup to the days of the FA Cup and now, the name has remained. But the glamour which was associated with past finals is gone.“In the past, when the date for the final was announced, fans would troop into Lagos four days to the game. When I remember those days, I wish they could come back. People now prefer to watch the English FA Cup final live at Wembley than watch our own here in Lagos.“Probably the advent of DStv has contributed to the loss of glamour but back then people, who can’t make it to the stadium, still watched the final on television.”Ekpo also agrees that the competitive nature of the competition, which threw up two new finalists, has remained.He said, “For IfeanyiUbah and Nasarawa to be in the final, it shows that there are no more traditional teams in the competition. The other clubs also want to taste the glory of winning the Federation Cup so the two clubs we have this year are worthy of it.”Nwosu, who also played in the competition, however believes the absence of the established teams in the final of the Federation Cup is partly responsible for the steady decline of the annual football event.The former ACB of Lagos player said the lack of followership for players and clubs in the country also contributed to the current decline in the competition.“I’m not surprised we have debutants as finalists in the 2016 Federation Cup. Over the years there is no clear picture of who the champions will be among the competing sides. The cause is predictable because we no longer have established teams in the competition,” he said.“Apart from Enyimba, you can hardly point out another team you can describe as a traditional team. That’s why today any team can win the competition and the negative impact is there staring us in the face as we head to play the 2016 final on Sunday.”He added, “There is nothing on the ground to tell an ardent or unsuspecting follower of the game that the final is coming up on Sunday. In the good old days, the build-up to the final was electrifying and on match day the stands were filled to capacity.“Fans from all over the country passed the night at the stadium to secure seats while others had to be at the stadium before noon to be guaranteed of seats but today that glamour has vanished.“The absence of talented players in the domestic scene has not helped the poor situation. Then there were lots of idolised stars, who fans looked up to, but today we have half-baked players with no interest in the game.”

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