History Makers: Sporting Lagos promoted to the NPFL just a year after they were founded

Nigeria National League side, Sporting Lagos F.C. have done the unthinkable, gaining promotion to the NPFL just under a year after they were founded…

Nigeria National League side, Sporting Lagos F.C. have gained promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League, soccernet.ng reports.

Sporting Lagos F.C., a football club, in Nigeria, have gained promotion to the NPFL. The club was founded in 2022, by Paystack CEO, Shola Akinlade and their journey to the top flight has been nothing short of remarkable. With fourty four teams in the NNL, Sporting were placed in Group B2, alongside Ijebu United, Gateway United, Crown, Smart City and Joy Cometh.

They finished top of the group, collecting eighteen points from ten games, but only advancing on goal difference ahead of Ijebu United who were also on eighteen points. Sporting Lagos won five games, drew three, and have lost just two games to date.

With a spot in the Promotion Play-offs secured, they were drawn into Group B, where the top two teams in the group at the end of the play-offs will be going up to the NPFL. The other teams in the group were F.C. One Rocket, Abeokuta Stormers, and five-time NPFL Champions, Heartland F.C.

Sporting kicked off the play-offs against F.C. One Rocket, and won the game by just a goal in what seemed to be a tight affair, and last night, secured their status as a top-flight team after a 2-0 win over Abeokuta Stormers. Goals from Ayemwenre Rivio and Saturday Okon were enough to seal the win at the Stephen Keshi International Stadium in Asaba.

FT'| It's all over at the Stephen Keshi Internaional Stadium

• Back-to-back wins
• A penalty save
•NPFL status confirmed

Sporting Lagos 2-0 Abeokuta Stormers pic.twitter.com/RvqzbD1ZyW

— Sporting Lagos (@SportingLagos) July 3, 2023