Fela FC wins Independence Cup in style

Fela FC won the 2026 MTN Independence Cup after beating Future Heroes 5-1 in the final at Fela Field, Ipaja, Lagos.

Eto was key for Fela FC, scoring two goals as they controlled the match to secure their win in the seventh edition of this grassroots tournament sponsored by MTN.

Fela FC started strong and took a 1-0 lead into halftime after Eto scored. He netted again after the break, making it 2-0 before Future Heroes pulled one back to make it 2-1.

But Fela FC responded quickly. Faruq restored their two-goal lead, then Gbenga added a fourth. They finished off the game with a fifth goal, sealing their victory.

Fela FC had a solid journey to the final. They beat Ayobo All Stars 3-1 and Kemon FC 3-0 in the group stage, even though they lost 2-0 to Premier Ballers. They went on to defeat Junior Milan 3-0 in the round of 16 and Grace FC 5-0 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, they won against HS FC 5-3 on penalties after a goalless draw.

Throughout the competition, Fela FC scored 24 goals and conceded seven.

Future Heroes also had a strong run to the final. They beat Trenches Kids 3-1 and Treasure FC 5-0 in their group, and they had a goalless draw with Martel FC. They defeated Austin Tigers 4-1 in the round of 16, Bravo Gee 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and Breeze FC 1-0 in the semi-finals before meeting Fela FC.

Future Heroes scored 16 goals and conceded eight during the tournament.

At the end of the tournament, Fela FC goalkeeper Korede was named Best Goalkeeper. His teammate Sammy won the Most Valuable Player award. Lion Heart FC forward Okoye Onyekachi was the highest goalscorer with 12 goals, while Toma FC of Agege received the Best Behaved Team award.