By Fidelis Ebu
The ever popular Challenge Cup competition kicked off unannounced nationwide in a new title: AITEO Cup.
This championship was first known as Challenge Cup, and later named FA Cup.
Within the period it was played with the titles – Challenge Cup and FA Cup, football teams that could not make it to the professional league rank turned out to be giant killers in the competition even from the Local Government and and State level.
Teams that were relatively unknown have made it to appreciable stages to become house-hold names.
As different administrators took over the helm of affairs at the Nigeria Football Association now Nigeria Football Federation, the prestigious CHALLENGE CUP was affected. Even when it was FA Cup, it attracted some measure of participation.
On Wednesday, the latest version AITEO Cup; kicked off across the country with only who knows the number of teams participating.
Many football stakeholders offered that the strange title is capable of dissuading hitherto interested football enthusiasts and philanthropists from financially contributing to ‘handicapped’ teams participation.
“This administration is out to kill football in the country. It’s known world over that corporate organisations sponsor national and international competitions but not changing the entire title, and where the organisations insist in sponsoring competitions, such organisations could sponsor a separate tournament.
“Just as the FA Cup is already existing, it could take another title provided such could be accommodated by the organising body; in this case, the NFF.
“This idea of constantly changing tournament title is misleading and discouraging”, some stakeholders bared their minds.
In developed football nations, the FA Cup is regarded as the traditional tournament while efforts are geared towards adding more tournaments to engage the teams rather than changing the established title.
England where our administrators copy their system, they English FA Cup and other competitions aside the English premierships. It’s then left with the management of the clubsides to decide which to participate and the players to register for which tournament.
Back home, the known Challenge Cup is being phased out with no effort to sustain it and even add to the number.
