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A Lagos based football club, Sporting Lagos have gained promotion to elite division of the Nigerian league, two seasons after featuring in the lower division.
Sporting Lagos secured promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League, (NPFL) after defeating Stormers FC in their second game of the Nigeria National League playoffs in Asaba on Monday.
Rivio Ayemwenre scored the first goal for Sporting 55 minutes into the game, while Okon Saturday scored a dying minute winner to ensure qualification for the Lagos-based side.
Paul Offor’s side are the first team in the NNL Super 8 to confirm their status ahead of next season. Their last group game is against Heartland on Wednesday and the former NPFL champions must avoid defeat if they hope to join Sporting in the NPFL.
After playing a goalless draw in their first game against Stormers on Sunday, Heartland recorded their first win of the playoffs with a 1-0 win over FC One Rocket on Monday.
In the northern conference, former NPFL champions Kano Pillars are within a point of securing promotion back to the topflight after recording a 2-0 win over DMD FC of Maiduguri at the ongoing playoffs in Asaba.
Mubarak Sanni opened the scoring for Pillars in the first half and a second half beauty by Abdullahi Haruna sealed the second win of the NNL Super 8 for Evans Ogenyi’s side.
The four-time winners of the NPFL now require at least a draw in their last round-robin game against fierce rivals Katsina United on Wednesday, as they hope to return to the topflight, one year after they were relegated to the second tier.