By Crown FC Ogbomoso and Pacesetter Queens have emerged as the winners of the Oyo State President Federation Cup in the male and female categories respectively.
The finals, held on Sunday, April 25, at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasigba, Ibadan, featured amazing moments and unexpected turns. The female final between Pacesetter Queens and Dragon Fury Ladies kicked off around 1:00 pm, followed shortly by the male anticipated clash between Shooting Stars SC and Crown FC.
The men’s final began with high energy as both sides traded possession and surged forward. However, after several attempts from Crown FC to get an early lead, they finally broke the dreadlocks in the 28th minute when Emmanuel David fired a low, clinical shot from the left side of the box into the bottom corner. Shooting Stars’ goalkeeper, Ozovehe, remained active throughout the half, notably parrying a dangerous free-kick over the bar shortly after the opening goal. Surprisingly, Shooting were forced into a first half tactical substitutions as Jamiu Hamzat and Justice Apaingolo came on for Edoho and David Luis.
The second half saw Shooting Stars push aggressively for an equalizer. Second-half substitutes Ayobami and Sodiq injected life into the attack that nearly produced an early leveller. Their persistence eventually rewarded them in the 59th minute when a defensive error by Crown FC allowed Alade to pounce on a loose ball near the post and drive it home to level the score
Another chance came for Shooting Stars in the 71st minute, but Ayobami’s low shot hit the stick, preventing a lead. After an additional four minutes at the end of the 90th minute, it ended in a 1-1 draw, leading to penalty shootouts. . In a calculated gamble, Crown FC substituted their first-choice goalkeeper, Muyiwa Majayogbe, specifically for the penalty shootout, a move that ultimately decided the title.
During the shootout, Crown FC converted all four of their spot-kicks with precision. Conversely, Lucky and Ismail missed their attempts for Shooting Stars, resulting in a 4-2 victory for Crown FC.
Recall that AfrikTimes reported earlier that Crown FC lost the final in the 2025 edition to Shooting Stars and that they would look to change the narratives in today’s clash.
In the female category, Pacesetter Queens dominated Dragon Fury Ladies till the final whistle. The game was partly won in the first half after Pacesetters launched three goals past Dragon’s defence. While the latter tried all tricks to close the gap and ignite hope, Queens were relentless in the attacks. Their efforts were soon crowned with additional two goals to secure a commanding 5-0 victory.
While speaking with AfrikTimes after the match, Emmanuel David dedicated the win to God and his teammates. The solo goalscorer for Crown FC noted that it has been a challenging run for the team. He charged upcoming players to work hard and believe in themselves.
“I thank God for everything because it has really been a tough season for Crown football club. Football is a game of commitment. You need to walk hard and believe in yourself cause there is pressure from family and friends. People will let you down,” he noted.
Crown FC goalkeeper, Muyiwa Majayogbe, also expressed his pride, stating it was a privilege to help the team and promising that they would be strong ambassadors for Oyo State as they advance to the national competition. Notably, he clinched the Golden Glove award.
“It is a great privilege given to me to come on the pitch. God did it for us. We promise to represent Ogbomoso, Oyo state, and Nigeria and go far in the football competition. My advice to young players is to never give up, keep working hard and be prayerful,” he said.
