Ocean Boys Battle Gombe Utd Today - Coca-Cola FA Cup Final

By Ganiyu Salman - 05.07.2008

The trophy at stakeAPER Aku Stadium, Makurdi is the place to be today as the final of the Coca-Cola FA Cup takes the centre stage with Ocean Boys of Bayelsa and Gombe United on the threshold of history.

None of the teams has won the competition introduced in 1945 before, and this jinx will be broken today in a winner-takes-all affair.

Interestingly, Gombe United had in the quarter-final stopped Bayelsa United 4-3 via penalties in Akure and Nasarawa United in the semi-final 1-0 courtesy of Olumide Olukola’s goal while, the Niger Delta flagbearers edged out two-time African champions and 2005 FA Cup holders, Enyimba FC in the semi-final, also via penalties in Owerri after a 1-1 draw at full time.

Both sides are meeting for the third time this season having clashed twice in the Globacom premier league. Coach Justin Tenger is looking forward to leading Gombe United to the promised land and becoming a hero. He coached BCC Lions of Gboko to win the title in 1997. The exploits of Gombe United in this year’s FA Cup competition has indeed placated aggrieved die hard fans who were disturbed by the ouster of the team from the CAF Champions League where it lost on 5-2 aggregate to Cottonsport of Cameroun.

“The governor (Danjuma Goje) has done so much and the only way to make him happy over the huge investment in the club is to return to Gombe with the FA Cup and we have the wherewithal to achieve this,” former coach of Katsina United had said during the week.

His counterpart, Evans Ogenyi however, believes that his team is unstoppable having come this far as the focus has been shifted to the return of the Brass Boys to the continental scene next season.

The third place match between Enyimba FC and Nasarawa United will precede the epic final billed for 4.pm.