Sporting Lagos crowned NNL champions on goal difference

Sporting Lagos have emerged champions of the Nigeria National League, finishing top of the four-team Super 4 standings on goal difference.

The Lagos-based club secured their first NNL title despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to city rivals Inter Lagos in the decisive Lagos Derby played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikene on Friday.

Heading into the final round of the NNL Super 4 playoffs, Sporting Lagos led the table with six points after victories in their opening two matches and needed only a draw to seal the title outright. Inter Lagos, however, still had a slim chance of clinching the crown if they overturned Sporting’s superior goal difference.

Inter Lagos made a bright start and took the lead in the seventh minute through Hassan Bashiru, who beat his marker before calmly slotting past goalkeeper Gafar Olaniyan.

Despite the early setback, Sporting Lagos held firm for the remainder of the match, ensuring the scoreline remained 1-0 and preserving the goal difference advantage needed to secure the championship.

Jeffery Butler’s side finished the tournament with a plus-four goal difference, two better than Inter Lagos, to claim the title.

The triumph marks Sporting Lagos’ first-ever NNL crown and the fifth trophy in the club’s history since its establishment in 2022. They also succeed Beyond Limits, the Remo Stars academy side, as league champions.

Both Sporting Lagos and Inter Lagos are expected to continue their rivalry in the Nigeria Premier Football League next season.

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