FA cup fixtures out, Rising Stars face Sunshine
By Femi Atolagbe
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The Draws for the 2019 State’s Federation Cup has been made in Akure as nine registered teams are ready to fight for the ultimate prize and a chance to represent Ondo State at the AITEO Cup championship.
At a brief ceremony which took place at the swimming pool terrace of the Ondo State sports complex each of the team’s representatives handpicked ballots representing numbers that were later fixed and drawn into a chart for the preliminaries stages and final.
At the end of the process conducted by Ondo F.A Board member Moses Fadoju, Akure United FC will file out against EES Snipers FC in the first match of the fixtures which begins on 9th April 2019 at the Ondo State sports complex while matchday two will see sister-teams Sunshine Stars and Rising Stars slugging it out for a slot in the semifinals on the 11th April 2019.
Earlier on matchday two, Alhaji Dada FC will battle CFAS FC in a one o’clock fixture also slated for the Ondo State sports complex.
The last two fixtures billed for 16th April 2019 will see last year’s finalists Akure City FC locking horns with newcomers L&B FC in another 1pm kickoff before the NSCDC FC file out against the winners of the opening day match between Akure United and Snipers FC ahead of the semifinals which begins on 23rd April 2019.
The two finalists are expected to represent Ondo State at the national level tagged the AITEO CUP while the winner takes home the coveted trophy which Sunshine Stars won again after a 1-0 victory over Akure City FC last year.
Speaking at the end of the ceremony Ondo FA board member Moses Fadoju who represented the chairman Otunba Dele Ajayi advised the teams not to see themselves as underdogs but rather as giant killers which is the tradition of the competition worldwide while the Chairman Ondo State Football Referees council Fidelis Fabidun assured the teams of fair officiating from his members that will be on duty during the competition.
