NPFL Match Day 5: Sporting Lagos FC grinds hard fought win over Niger Tornadoes
Posted : 30 October 2023
Sporting Lagos FC secured a hard-fought victory on Sunday over the visiting Niger Tornadoes, earning their second home win in Match Day 5 of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
The highly anticipated late-night football showcase between Lagos' Tech Boys and Ikon Allah Boys took place at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Lagos Island.
Sporting Lagos FC began the match positively, dominating the first half and were rewarded with a goal as Jonathan set up Alukwu to slot the ball home in the 27th minute through a well-executed counter-attacking play.
Former NPFL top scorer, Junior Lokosa, then doubled his team's lead in the 45th minute, giving them a 2-0 advantage at the half.
However, the visitors, Ikon Allah Boys, regrouped in the second half. Newcomer Yahuza Bala reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 67th minute with a beautiful combination involving Bashir Usman.
Bala continued to trouble the Tech Boys and was close to equalizing with a goal. Still, the center referee, after consulting with his assistant, ruled it offside, denying what could have been Bala's equalizer.
After the match, the Man of the Match, Lokosa, praised the team's spirit for their hard-earned win.
"I'd say it was a tough match. My personal reaction doesn't matter because it's the team's effort that earned us the three points. I'm happy to have contributed to the victory, despite our recent poor results in the last two matches. The fans have always been behind us, but we should also understand that we've had some injury concerns, which I'm thankful we're overcoming now," he said.
The disappointed Chairman of Niger Tornadoes, Adamu Aliyu, attributed his team's loss to poor officiating.
"I'm not satisfied with the officiating at all. You all saw what happened—the assistant referee robbed us of a clear goal. This game should have been ours, and it's not just a setback for Niger Tornadoes but for Nigerian football as well. We need to improve the officiating of league matches. How can we develop our football with such poor officiating?" he questioned.
Sporting Lagos FC will now travel to Ilorin to face Kwara United FC in the mid-week Match Day 6 fixture.
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