Duro Ikhazuagbe 

The oldest living FA Cup winner in Nigeria, Mr Billiaminu Thanni, 80, was  honoured with a special plaque and N2million cheque at the finals of the 2025 President Federation Cup in Lagos last Saturday.

During the halftime ceremonies of the final between Kwara United FC and Abakaliki FC won by the Ilorin team via penalty shootouts, the oldest living FA Cup legend, Mr Billiaminu Thanni, who played and won the trophy with Lagos Stationery Stores FC in 1982, was  duly recognized and honoured by his colleagues in the Lagos Legends Club.

Chairman of the National Sports Commission, (NSC) Malam Shehu Dikko, also made a personal donation of N2million to the FA Cup legend as well as lifted the Lagos Legends Club with N3million.

According to Dikko, the National Sports Commission “would continue to work with the Nigeria Football Federation and the LLC  to sustain and upscale the glory of the FA Cup (President Federation Cup) to the best level possible in line to its core objectives of ensuring mass participation across the country and a veritable platform to unearth talents,” concludes Dikko.

The Lagos Legends Club with membership of over 3,000 former footballers at home and the diaspora, is chaired by former Super Eagles player, Engr Waidi Akanni.

Speaking after the honour done to his member, Billiaminu Thanni, Engr Akanni commended the NSC Chairman for the gesture and prayed for more of such so that the ex internationals will know that they have not been forgotten.

“I really must commend the NSC Chairman Malam Shehu Dikko for the gesture. Honours like this one done to our member Billiaminu Thanni has given us hopes that our labour for clubs and country have not been forgotten,” he noted 

Amongst some of the former footballers physically present at the ceremony were; Waidi Akanni, Henry Nwosu, Friday Ekpo, Godwin Okpara, Wasiu Ipaye, Monday Kanu, Mba Agbai, Edema Benson, and a host of Others.