Kwara United Football Club is a Nigerian football club based in Ilorin. They play in the top division in Nigerian football, the

Nigeria Professional football League The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) is the highest level of the Nigerian football league system, for the Nigerian club-football championships. The Nigerian league has suffered, like many others, from the financial impact and dwind ...

after

promotion Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...

in 2017 from the

Nigeria National League The Nigerian National League (formerly known as ''National Division 1'') is the second tier of club football in Nigeria. History From 1997-2011, the league has been split into 1A for Northern teams and 1B for southern teams. The top two f ...

. Their home stadium is the

Kwara State Stadium The Kwara State Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Ilorin, Kwara, Nigeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Kwara United F.C. and ABS F.C. Abubakar Bukola Saraki FC is a Nigerian association football ...

History

The club's roots go back to the Kwara 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 talents in the club, the scope was opened and by 1979 qualified to play in the National League second division alongside the First Bank F.C. of Lagos. That same year, the club got to the quarter-final stage of the Football Association Cup (otherwise called the Challenge Cup) where she 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 her 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 CAF Confederation Cup. The coaching staff for the 2006–07 season included Swedes

Roger Palmgren Roger Lennart Palmgren is a Swedish football manager. He has that 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 h ...

and Johan Eriksson (son of former England and

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manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson). 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 goal 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 & Editor-i ...

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, Olajide Ayodeji Fashikun. The Investment Consultant is 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 Offa and

Abeokuta Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokuta and the surrounding a ...

as the ground was 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 the field. The League ruled Bees at fault, fined the club and awarded the win to Kwara United, thus securing the promotion.

Farm club

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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''

Achievements

Nigerian Premier League The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) is the highest level of the Nigerian football league system, for the Nigerian club-football championships. The Nigerian league has suffered, like many others, from the financial impact and dwind ...

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

National Second Division The National Second Division (NSD) – also referred to under the working title The Championship – is a proposed Australian national second-tier men's, soccer league, to be run by Football Australia and the Association of Australian Football ...

: 1 ::1997

Performance in CAF competitions

* CAF Confederation Cup: 1 appearance :: 2007 – Group stage *

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 the pre-existing CAF international club competition the African Cup of Champions Clubs. History The tou ...

: 1 appearance ::

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– Quarter-finals

Current squad

''As of 1 January 2021''

Former coaches

* Kafaru Alabi * Toyin Ayinla * Johann Eriksson *

Kosta Papić Kosta Papić ( sr-Cyrl, Коста Папић; born 17 July 1960) is a Serbian football coach who has managed a number of great African clubs in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. Coaching career Previous clubs: Kaizer Chiefs, Maritzbur ...

(2006–07) * Kadiri Ikhana (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)

Notes

{{Nigerian Premier League Football clubs in Nigeria Kwara State Association football clubs established in 1997 1997 establishments in Nigeria Sports clubs in Nigeria