In the exciting world of football, there has long been a history of rivalry between club sides and even countries that has endured for centuries. Some of the footballing rivalries have been healthy ones which often involve bragging rights and territorial spaces, while some have been volatile, toxic and often leading to violence, injuries and even deaths.
The most famous football rivalry in the world is unarguably the Spanish El Clásico involving Real Madrid and Barcelona. The El Clásico is a clash of cultural and regional power between Madrid and Catalonia. Every year, football lovers and fans look forward to the El Clásico with so much anticipation. Thousands of dollars are put up in bets around the world, and they are never disappointing.
In England, we have the North West Derby between Manchester United and Liverpool, two of England’s most decorated and historic clubs. Germany produces the Der Klassiker involving Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, while in Italy, there is the Derby della Madonnina named
after the cathedral statue in Milan, which sees AC Milan and Inter Milan battling it out for pride and glory, while France produces the Le Classique, which sees Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille slug it out every year.
Nigeria is not left out in football rivalries. In the past, Leventis United of Ibadan and Abiola Babes of Abeokuta were bitter rivals, while in Lagos, fans of Stationery Stores could not see eye to eye with supporters of Julius Berger and ACB, while across the borders, Enugu Rangers and IICC of Ibadan were mortal rivals.
Back home in Plateau, such football rivalry took root in the matchups between two of the most iconic football clubs in Jos – Plateau United and Mighty Jets- in whatever names they were called over the years.
The cross-town football rivalry between Plateau United and Mighty Jets is one of the oldest local derbies in Nigeria, representing a fierce contest for pride, fan loyalty, and bragging rights in Jos.
For those who do not know, Mighty Jets historically laid down an early football legacy in northern Nigeria, while Plateau United rose to elite heights, including winning the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Plateau United metamorphosed from JIB Rocks Strikers, and interestingly, the name “Plateau United” was the former name used by Mighty Jets before shifting identities and evolving into separate major entities. Mighty Jets also had names like Plateau Highlanders, NASCO Jets, and finally Mighty Jets International, depending on their sponsors at that time, but any match between the two eternal rivals had the whole of Jos stop breathing. The matches were the “Real Plasico” which had everything any football fan would look out for.
The football rivalry between Plateau United and Mighty Jets is perhaps one of Nigeria’s oldest and most historic local derbies, as the hostility between the two teams has deep roots in Jos city’s football culture.
When the two teams were competing in the same division, fans across the state and even neighbouring states would troop into Jos on match days to catch the undiluted fun, the bitter-sweet war on the pitch and the banter of fans in the stands. On such days, the whole of Jos stood still, and we would have one city and two giants slugging it out; the whole of Jos stopped breathing.
On derby day, the only direction is pure war on the turf and passion in the stands, while deep roots, high stakes, and a rivalry older than time itself take over and become the heartbeat of Plateau football.
Back then, when the turf war between United and Jets kicked off and the prides of Jos collided, one would expect nothing less than 90 minutes of pure adrenaline and unyielding grit, with not only the points at stake but the pride, the bragging rights, and the ambition to be better than the rest taking over.
Whenever Plateau United and Mighty Jets locked horns, the matches were more than mere football games; they were statements of supremacy, dominance, and superiority. It also gave their fans something to gloat and brag about till the next match day.
The roots of the rivalry between the two clubs could be traced from the 70s till the late 90s when football had so much passion, enthusiasm, and zeal from both players and supporters.
Historically, the friction between the two clubs extended far beyond the pitch. In the 1980s and 1990s, matches between Mighty Jets and Plateau United were highly charged affairs.
The intensity and fierce competition among fans sometimes required the heavy presence of the police and other law enforcement operatives to maintain order.
Even in local communities, supporters and fans of the two clubs regularly engaged each other in matches which most times ended in heated fashion, with fights often breaking out. Another funny aspect of the rivalry which no one has been able to explain was that most supporters of Plateau United were Christians while a Muslim majority seemed to back Mighty Jets, and in some of the clashes between their fans, a coloration of religious sentiments often played out.
In recent years, the two clubs have witnessed different fortunes. While Plateau United is still in the top echelon of the Nigerian Premier League, Mighty Jets have been lurking in the lower leagues and struggling mightily for survival, but
their age-old rivalry cannot be overlooked.
Even though they are not in the same league, any match involving the teams, especially in the Plateau State FA Cup, has always been one to revive the rivalry that has long eluded football fans in Jos.