Abuja, June 7, 2026 – Plateau United continued their impressive run in the 2026 President Federation Cup after overcoming FC Basira 2-1 to secure a place in the competition’s quarter-finals.
The Round of 16 fixture, played on Saturday at the FIFA Goal Project Pitch of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, saw the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side display resilience and quality to edge past their lower-division opponents.
Plateau United broke the deadlock in the 27th minute through Paul Magit, who capitalised on the team’s dominance to put his side ahead.
The Jos-based club extended its lead shortly after the restart when Victor Dawa produced a stunning long-range effort in the 51st minute. The midfielder skipped past two defenders before unleashing a powerful strike from about 40 metres, leaving the FC Basira goalkeeper with no chance as the ball nestled in the back of the net.
FC Basira, who compete in the Nigeria National League (NNL), refused to back down and found a way back into the contest in the 60th minute. Following a scramble inside Plateau United’s penalty area, Sarki Aluku reacted quickest to the loose ball and calmly finished to reduce the deficit.
The NNL side pushed forward in search of an equaliser during the closing stages, but Plateau United’s defence stood firm to protect their advantage and secure progression to the last eight.
Plateau United had reached the Round of 16 after a narrow 1-0 victory over Kogi United in the previous round, while FC Basira booked their place with an 8-7 penalty shootout win against Ingas FC after both sides settled for a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Reacting to the result, Plateau United Technical Adviser, Olugbenga Ogunbote, acknowledged the challenge posed by their opponents despite the victory.
“It wasn’t an easy game. Whenever you face an NNL side, you must be prepared for a difficult battle, and they gave us a very tough contest,” he said.
Ogunbote noted that while the club remains ambitious in the tournament, there is still a long way to go before thoughts of lifting the trophy become reality.
“Every team in the competition wants to win it. We will continue to push ourselves and see how far we can go, but we are determined to give our best,” he said.
The experienced coach also credited the team’s recent improvement to growing self-belief within the squad, stressing that confidence has played a major role in their performances.
According to him, helping the players develop a winning mentality has been key to the team’s resurgence, as they increasingly believe in their ability to compete and achieve positive results.