NUGA 2025 – FUTMINNA pip EKSU to win gold medal in football event

Five days of tough matches, tricky clashes, and exciting matchups at the football event of the NUGA Games culminated in a final win for the Federal University of Technology, Minna, as they grabbed gold.

The Minna-based institution started their campaign with a [1-0] win over Fada Adasu University, Makurdi, before securing victories against Taraba State University and the host institution, the University of Jos.

These wins propelled them into the quarter-finals with a 100% record, where they saw off the University of Ibadan by two goals to one, dumping the “Premier University” out of the competition.

In the semi-finals, they faced Taraba State University once again, defeating them with a replica [2-1] scoreline to seal a place in the final.

In the final, they faced a tough test – EKSU.

Ekiti State University, despite an imperfect group-stage run, made it to the final after seeing off UNIMAID on penalties in the quarter-finals and KASU in the semi-finals.

FUTMINNA took the lead in the 16th minute through James Samuel and held on to their advantage in the first half. Four minutes into the second half, EKSU struck level. They were awarded a penalty, and Akanfe Samson converted calmly to restore parity.

Both sides continued to mount pressure, looking to take a second-half advantage, but they cancelled each other out.

It looked like all was set for extra time, but FUTMINNA didn’t stop knocking. Abubakar Abdulkadir’s 85th-minute effort completed the job for FUTMINNA and helped them claim gold at the football event of the 27th NUGA Games.

This win for FUTMINNA means that in back-to-back NUGA editions, teams from the North Central region have claimed gold, after UNILORIN did so in 2022. They achieved this by defeating South-Western teams – OAU in 2022 and EKSU in 2025.

An unexpected yet thrilling end.