2022 Aiteo Cup: Heartland, Katsina Utd Refuse To Play In Aiteo Cup Q/final In Ilorin

Both Heartland Football Club of Owerri and Katsina United FC of Katsina showed up for their quarter final matches of 2022 Aiteo Cup competition in Ilorin, but refused to play.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Wednesday the two teams had earlier honoured their pre-match meeting in the day and signed all necessary documents for the game to commence.

However, NAN gathered that the two teams confirmed to the match commissioner that they were waiting for directives of their respective chairmen to play the match.

NAN reports that both teams players were present at the Kwara Stadium Complex, Ilorin, for the match but none of them dressed up to play even with the presence of the match officials.

Specualtions are rife that the teams were protesting the nomination of Kwara United FC of Ilorin for the CAF Confederation Cup competition, it is expected that the winner of the Aiteo Cup is to represent Nigeria.

NAN reports that Kwara United Football Club was listed as the second representative for the country in the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Confederation Cup competition.

Rivers United FC and Plateau United FC will play in the CAF Champions League, while Remo Stars, which ended in the third position on the final league table and fourth placed Kwara United will play in the CAF Confederation Cup. (NAN)