Kwara United Football Club is a Nigerian

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in

Ilorin Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State located in the Western region of Nigeria. The city is a major hub for transportation and commerce in the region. . Retrieved 18 February 2007 Although Ilorin is classified under the North-Central g ...

. They play in the top division in Nigerian football, the

Nigeria Professional football League The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) (formerly the Nigeria Professional Football League) is the highest level of club football in Nigerian football league system. The Nigerian Premier League has suffered like many others, from the financi ...

having gained

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in 2017 from the

Nigeria National League The Nigeria National League (NNL) (formerly the National Division 1) is the second-highest overall in the Nigerian football league system after the Nigeria Premier Football League, and is currently contested by 46 clubs. Each season, four ...

. Their home stadium is the

Kwara State Stadium The Kwara State Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Ilorin, Kwara State, Kwara, Nigeria. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and is the home stadium of Kwara United F.C. and ABS FC The stadium has a capacity of 18 ...

History

The club's roots go back to the Kwara State Water Corporation Football Club in 1974. It was supposed to be an in-house club for the staffers of the Water Corporation. Due to the results and depth of talent in the club, the scope was widened and by 1979 they qualified to play in the National League second division alongside the

First Bank F.C. First Bank FC is a Nigerian soccer club run by First Bank of Nigeria and based in Lagos. Besides football, the bank also runs clubs in various other sports, including basketball. Current squad Oladimeji Salvador Sources Th ...

of Lagos. That same year, the club got to the quarter-final stage of the Football Association Cup (otherwise called the Challenge Cup) where it lost to Bendel Insurance football club of Benin 2–1. In 1985, due to the change in the name of the parent corporation to Kwara Utility Board, the club changed its name to ''Kwara Utility Bombers of Ilorin''. It was relegated to division three at the end of that season. With the disengagement of the parent corporation from financing the team in 1990, the club adjusted its name to ''Kwara Bombers'' football club of Ilorin. It suffered financial stress, which culminated in its relegation to division three in 1996. The new state government led by Colonel Peter Asum Ogar led the purchase in March 1997 of the Exide Club of Ibadan, moved them to Ilorin and took their slot in the Second Division. Ogar christened the new outfit ''Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin''. The club came third at the end of the 2006 Super Four play-off behind Ocean Boys and Nasarawa United FC and qualified for the 2007 edition of the

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. The coaching staff for the 2006–07 season included

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Roger Palmgren Roger Lennart Palmgren is a Swedish football manager. He has been active as club manager in nine different countries: Italy, Sweden, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia and China. He has been c ...

and Johan Eriksson (son of former England and

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manager,

Sven-Göran Eriksson Sven-Göran Eriksson (; 5 February 1948 – 26 August 2024) was a Swedish association football, football player and Coach (sport), manager. After a playing career as a right-back, Eriksson went on to experience major success in club management ...

). The team was coached by former players of the team: Toyin Ayinla, Tunde Sanni and Aliyu Muzambilu (Goalkeeper trainer) following the passing of Technical Adviser Kafaru Alabi on January 8, 2008. However, they were relegated from the Premier League on the last day of the 2007–08 season on goals differential. They regained promotion back to the top level the next year as Champions of Division 1-A. The team appointed an Investment Consultant, Goldenwing33 Nigeria Limited, headed by former Nigerian international and former deputy editor (Sports) of

Thisday ''This Day'' is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd., and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State. Founded by Nduka Obaigbena, the chairman and edito ...

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, Olajide Ayodeji Fashikun. The Investment Consultant was to organise the privatisation and private sector participation in the club's funding in two years. The fans of the club have one of the worst reputations in Nigeria, as witnessed during a vicious beating of the referees after a 0–0 tie in 2008. Kwara played some of the 2010–11 season in

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and

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as their own ground was being renovated. After relegation in 2013 they won promotion back in 2014. After their last game with Ranchers Bees was abandoned in Kaduna with 28 minutes to play tied at 2–2, they played again at a neutral site with Kwara needing the win and three points to leapfrog Ranchers for promotion. The replay was again abandoned when Bees' players attacked the referee and team staff encroached on the field. The League ruled Bees at fault, fined the club and awarded the win to Kwara United, thus securing the promotion. Kwara United returned to the top-flight in 2019 when they bought

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's slot in the NPFL after having previously been relegated; and the club enjoyed considerable success between then and 2023, when they qualified for the

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after narrowly missing out previously, in a period which featured notable players like

Afeez Nosiru Afeez Babatunde Nosiru (born 1 March 1998) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kwara United. Career His career peaked at Kwara United after his return from Niger Tornadoes, where he was instrumental to the club's ...

Farm club

The club is owner of Kwara United Feeders Team of Ilorin and a female team, Kwara Ladies.Il Kwara United Feeders Team ospite dello Spezia Calcio
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Club names

*1974–85: ''Kwara Water Corporation football club'' *1985–90: ''Kwara Utility Bombers of Ilorin'' *1990–97: ''Kwara Bombers Football Club of Ilorin'' *1997–: ''Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin (after the Kwara State government bought Exide Sparkers Football Club of Ibadan and renamed the team)''

Achievements

Nigerian Premier League The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) (formerly the Nigeria Professional Football League) is the highest level of club football in Nigerian football league system. The Nigerian Premier League has suffered like many others, from the financ ...

: 1 ::2006 Regular Season champions, 3rd in Super Four Play-off *

National Second Division The Australian Championship is an upcoming Australian national second-tier men's soccer competition, to be run by Football Australia and the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC). The annual tournament will initially consist of 16 te ...

: 1 ::1997

Performance in CAF competitions

: 2 appearances ::

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

– Group stage :: 2022/23 – Second round *

CAF Cup The CAF Cup was an annual competition organised by the CAF for domestic leagues runners-up of member associations who have not qualified to one of the two pre-existing CAF international club competitions the African Cup of Champions Clubs or t ...

: 1 appearance ::

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

– Quarter-finals

Former coaches

* Kafaru Alabi * Toyin Ayinla * Johann Eriksson * Kosta Papić *

(2006–07) *

Kadiri Ikhana Kadiri Ikhana (born 31 December 1951) is a Nigerian football coach and former player who last managed Kano Pillars. Playing career Ikhana played as a midfielder for Bendel Insurance, winning the league in 1979 and the FA Cup in 1978 and 1980. ...

(1997), (2010–11) * Tunde Sanni (2011–12) * Samson Unuanel (2012–13), (2013–14) * Babatunde Abdulrahmon (2014–2015) * John Sam Obuh (2015–2017) * Abubakar Bala (2017–2019) * Abdullahi Biffo (2019–2022) * Abdulazeez Mohammed (2022–2023) * Kabir Dogo (2023–present)

Notes

External links

Kwara United Results
– current results of Kwara United matches {{Nigerian Premier League Football clubs in Nigeria Kwara State Association football clubs established in 1997 1997 establishments in Nigeria Sport in Kwara State