…Team receives grand welcome in Ilorin after winning 2025 President Federation Cup and National Youth League
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Monday hosted Kwara United Football Club following their historic win of the 2025 President Federation Cup — the first time the state has claimed the title. The Governor also celebrated the club’s U-19 team, who won the inaugural National Youth League.
To mark the achievements, each senior team player was awarded five million naira and a plot of land at the Kwara Smart City. The Governor described the victory as a proud moment for the state and praised the players and management for their discipline and hard work.
Kwara United secured the President Federation Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Abakaliki FC, following a goalless 90-minute final. The win is the club’s first in the competition, which predates the national football league and is widely regarded as Nigeria’s most prestigious domestic trophy.
The team’s return to Ilorin on Monday was met with widespread celebration. Residents lined the streets to welcome the players, who arrived in a long motorcade from Eiyenkorin to the Banquet Hall in Government Reserved Area, where the reception was held.
Speaking at the reception, Governor AbdulRazaq hailed the significance of the win, describing the Federation Cup as the biggest trophy in Nigerian football. “It is bigger than the League Cup. This has been in existence even before the League was formed. The trophy is in Kwara today. I must congratulate everybody who has made it happen,” he said.
He recalled the state of the club in 2019 when his administration took over. “Everything was down. We were owing players a lot of money, but today the story has changed,” the Governor said.
He dedicated the victory to the late Alhaji Yusuf Salami, who he said had invested his personal resources to bring success to the club but never lived to witness it. “May Allah grant him Alijanna Fridaous,” he added.
The event was attended by key dignitaries including Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Sports Hon. Rukayat Shittu, Hon. Yusuf Abdulwaheed Gbenga of Shawo/Essa Constituency, Deputy Chief of Staff Princess Olubukola Babalola, Chairman of the State Sports Commission Coach Bola Magaji, Kwara United Chairman Kumbi Titiloye, State FA Chairman Malam Abdullahi Musa Thuraya, Head Coach Tunde Sanni, and APC chieftain Alhaji Yahya Seriki, among others.
In their remarks, Coach Magaji and Kumbi Titiloye thanked Governor AbdulRazaq for his strong support, noting that the administration’s commitment to the club laid the foundation for this historic success.
