Sporting Lagos, the new kids on the block, defeated Remo Stars 4-2 in a penalty shootout to yesterday cap off their fairytale run in the Naija Super Eight competition with the grand prize.
The Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL)’s Lagos lads, who had just been promoted after the regular season finished in a 1-1 tie, proved to be stronger shooters from the spot during the penalty shootout.
In their second season of Nigerian football, Sporting Lagos seized the lead in the 54th minute and seemed to be headed for their first championship, but Remo Stars tied the score by Adams Olamilekan with less than five minutes remaining.
Prior to the equalizer, Remo Stars had what seemed to be a clear goal by Olamilekan mysteriously chalked out by the referee, which immediately sparked an almost riotous scenario that the organizers ultimately got under control.
After the eight minutes of extra time had passed without any goals being scored, the teams decided to use a penalty shootout to determine the competition’s victor. Sporting Lagos made four of their kicks, while Remo Stars only managed two, handing the victory to the Lagos team, who also took home the N25 million first-place award.