Aiteo Cup: Akwa United beat Niger Tornadoes via penalty shootout to win 2017 title

Courtesy of their win, Akwa United will take home a cash prize of N25m, the biggest in the history of the competition.

Akwa United are the 2017 Aiteo Cup champions after a penalty-shootout win over fellow Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side Niger Tornadoes on Sunday, October 15 at the Agege Township Stadium in Lagos.

 

Both sides failed to find the breakthrough in the regulation time before Akwa United got a 3-2 win in the penalty shootout to win their second Aiteo Cup (Federation Cup) title in their history. They won their first in 2015.

 

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinick was present at the game alongside President of the  Confederation of African Football (CAF) Ahmad Ahmad, Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel, Niger State Governor Abubakar Bello and Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.

 

Tornadoes had the first chance of the game, but Abdullahi Wakili’s effort went well over the bar.

Reuben Ogbonnaya’s freekick in the 12th minute went wide also as Tornadoes kept the pressure on Akwa United.

 

Musa Newman had the chance to give Akwa United the lead but his first touch let him down after a fine pass from a teammate.

Ojo Olorunleke made a smart save for Akwa United in the 43rd minute to keep the score 0-0 at halftime.

In the second half Tornadoes got another chance though Wakili who could not convert a cross from Hussaini Isah.

 

Akwa United got their best chance of the game in the 85th minute but Gabriel Okechukwu’s effort went over the bar.

Courtesy of their win Akwa United will take home a cash prize of N25m, the biggest in the history of the competition.

 

Last year’s winners FC IfeanyiUbah got N2m.

Akwa United will also represent Nigeria alongside Enyimba at next season’s CAF Confederation Cup.