Plateau United FC secured a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 President Federation Cup after defeating FC Basira 2-1 in a round of 16 encounter played on Saturday at the FIFA Goal Project Pitch of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side took control of the match in the 27th minute when Paul Magit opened the scoring to give Plateau United a deserved lead.
Plateau United doubled their advantage six minutes into the second half through Victor Dawa.
The midfielder produced a moment of brilliance in the 51st minute, dribbling past two opponents before unleashing a spectacular 40-metre strike that caught the FC Basira goalkeeper off guard and flew into the net.
Nigeria National League (NNL) side FC Basira responded in the 60th minute through Sarki Aluku.
Following a goalmouth scramble inside the Plateau United penalty area, Aluku reacted quickest to the loose ball, beating a defender before calmly slotting home to reduce the deficit.
In spite of the late pressure from FC Basira, Plateau United held firm to preserve their lead and book a place in the last eight of Nigeria’s oldest domestic football competition.
Plateau United reached the round of 16 after defeating Kogi United 1-0 in the round Round of 32, while FC Basira advanced after edging Ingas FC 8-7 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Speaking after the match,Technical Adviser of Plateau United FC, Coach Olugbenga Ogunbote,admitted that the encounter was far from easy against the NNL side.
“It didn’t come that easy. You are playing against an NNL side and they will give you a fight for your life. I think they gave a really good fight,” he said.
The experienced tactician noted that Plateau United remain focused on progressing in the competition but acknowledged that winning the trophy would require sustained effort and determination.
“Everybody’s target is to win the trophy. Let us see where our strength will take us, but we will give it a try,” he said.
He attributed the team’s recent performances to a renewed sense of confidence among the players.
“It is about changing their mentality and making them believe in themselves that they can win, and that’s just it,” he said.
