Fireworks in Lokoja, Aba, Kaduna as Aiteo Cup round of 16 games begin

THE Round of 16 matches of the men’s section of this year’s AITEO Cup competition will come alive today with potentially explosive encounters at the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja, Enyimba Stadium in Aba and Kaduna’s Ahmadu Bello Stadium.

It will surely be a fight- to- finish in Lokoja when respected Tin City lords, Plateau United take the pitch against in- form Nasarawa United from Lafia.

Plateau United, last winners of the Nigeria Professional Football League ( NPFL), pushed Jigawa Golden Stars off the boat in the last round while the Solid Miners got the better of Bendel Insurance.

In Kaduna, it is a northern derby between Katsina United – in the NPFL – and Gombe United, accustomed to the NPFL but currently in the second tier Nigeria National League. Both teams go for each other’s jugular at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium to determine who grabs the ticket to the quarterfinals.

The Enyimba Stadium in Aba will welcome Heartland FC of Owerri and resurgent Rivers United in a game of two NPFL battlers. Rivers United are eyeing success in this year’s NPFL but they have a mountain to climb with Akwa United, Enyimba FC, Kano Pillars and Nasarawa United all focused and angling for the diadem.

United may simply opt to concentrate more on the AITEO Cup.