Sports
Premier League Matches Return Sets Lagos Agog
It is no longer news that
Lagos used to be the Mecca of Nigeria football in the past due mainly to the number of clubs that once participated in the nation’s thriving league scene.
At the height of football splendour in Lagos, colourful sides like Stationery Stores FC, NEPA FC, ACB FC, Julius Berger FC and First Bank FC at one time or the order held their football fans spellbound with their magical displays.
But eventually the eminent status that Lagos had in Nigerian football petered out because of challenges culminating in poor performance that saw the high flying Lagos clubs relegated to the lower rung of the Nigerian league.
Fans hostilities during national football team matches and national league matches also aided in dousing the flame of football in the state.
Because of the unruly nature of the football fans, the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) now known as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), had to stage matches involving the Super Eagles in Port Harcourt and elsewhere.
The ensuing development gradually turned the National Stadium Surulere into a “Ghost Town’’ of sorts, in addition to the relegation of the once flamboyant clubs like Stationery Stores et al into obscurity.
But the impending campaign of Mountain of Fire and Miracle FC and Ikorodu United FC in the 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League NPFL will no doubt reignite the passion for league football in Lagos.
It will be germane to note that football fans around the country are already re-cultivating the attitude of storming league matches to cheer their teams to victory.
As tge NPFL matches resume this month, opes are currently high among fans as they anticipate the re-emergence of league matches in football-starved Lagos ahead of the kick-off of the upcoming season in 2016.
The Chairman of Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), Seyi Akinwunmi, said that the promotion of the two Lagos sides to the NPFL would once more ignite league followership in the state.
Akinwunmi said that the remarkable development would spur the growth of grassroots football in the state, adding that LSFA would assist in preparing the clubs ahead of the new league season.
“I keep on telling people that if you allow me to jump and roll and scream, I will.
“This is because I have been hounded for the past four years by the press over the absence of Lagos clubs from the Nigeria Professional Football League.
“I told people that when the time comes, it will happen and it has happened in a big way and we’ve been proven right.
“The important thing is that Lagos clubs are prepared.
“When we were talking about that, all we wanted was for them to run the clubs properly.
“And as the season begins, we are going to do a lot in terms of preparing them.
“In terms of teaching the people about what to do and I am sure that football is back home,’’ he said.
In the same vein, a former Super Eagles midfielder, Friday Ekpo, said that the return of Lagos clubs to the Nigeria top league would spice up football in the state.
Ekpo, who plied his trade for the defunct Abiola Babes FC in the late 1980s, noted that it would redeem the image of football in Lagos.
“It is a great development and also good for football growth in Lagos. I vividly remember as a player, how fans usually troop out to watch league matches in the past.
“Football is back to its main arena and I know Lagos fans are happy with the development,’’ he said.
Nduka Ugbade, who played for the defunct Niger Dock FC of Lagos, said that the newly promoted teams should be given the much needed support to thrive in the league.
Ugbade said that the task ahead of the clubs went beyond gaining promotion to the NPFL, adding that the sustenance of the clubs in the league was vital.
“There was a time when we had more clubs from Lagos State in the league before everything went bad for most of the clubs.
“The promoted clubs will only remain in the league if they are adequately prepared and well funded.
“By so doing, more clubs from Lagos will gain promotion to the league and reignite passion for football in the state,’’ he said.
Also, a board member of LSFA Falade Oyekan, said that the clubs’ promotion will boost football momentum in Lagos.
Oyekan said that it would also impact on the grassroots development of soccer, adding that the league had returned to its place of prominence.
“Lagos used to be the home of league football in the past and for a very long time we were starved because of the absence of clubs from Lagos.
“We are happy with this development and we know it will have positive impact on football in Lagos,’’ he said.
On the part of the teeming football fans in Lagos and its environs, expectations are high but the fans must learn to curb their unbridled exuberance and to make the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere a veritable Mecca for NPFL matches.
Ajayi writes for News Agency of Nigeria.
Kemi Ajayi
The Nigerian, who arrived in China fresh from winning gold at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Ghana earlier on Wednesday, clocked a season’s best of 12.41s behind Olympic champion Masai Russell and Bahamian star Devynne Charlton.
Russell produced a dominant display to win the race in a meeting record and world-leading time of 12.25s, improving on her previous world lead of 12.40s.
Charlton, the reigning world indoor champion, finished second in 12.38s in one of her strongest outdoor performances to date.
Amusan, whose world record of 12.12s remains the fastest time ever run in the event, improved significantly from her previous season’s best of 12.84s set during her victorious outing at the African Championships in Accra.
The 29-year-old was competing in a stacked field that included reigning world champion Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland, Jamaican pair Megan Simmonds and Ackera Nugent, China’s Wu Yanni and Americans Tonea Marshall and Danielle Williams.
Kambundji, who won the world title in Tokyo last year with a Swiss record 12.24s, finished fifth in 12.82s, while Jamaica’s Nugent placed sixth in 12.98s.
Marshall and Williams failed to finish the race.
Following Amusan’s victory in Accra, the three-time Diamond League final winner expressed gratitude to her supporters while insisting she remained determined to achieve more success this season.
“Beyond grateful to God, my team, supporters, and everyone who continues to believe in me through every season. Historic feeling. Still hungry for more. The mission continues,”
The 10-time African champions are scheduled to take on the Teranga Lionesses on June 5 and 8 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, in what will form a key part of their build-up to July’s continental tournament.
The fixtures were confirmed on social media platform X by Super Falcons Show, which announced the details of the encounter and venue.
“Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will take on Senegal Women’s National Team in a double-header international friendly scheduled for June 5 and 8,” the post read.
“Both matches will be played in Ikenne, Nigeria.”
The friendlies come after Nigeria’s proposed training tour of the United Kingdom, which included a planned match against Jamaica, was cancelled due to scheduling complications linked to FIFA’s official women’s international window. The timing meant clubs would not have been obliged to release players.
With that tour shelved, the Senegal fixtures now offer a timely opportunity for coach Justine Madugu and his technical team to assess squad options, test tactical systems and strengthen team cohesion ahead of the WAFCON campaign and longer-term qualification targets for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Senegal are expected to provide a competitive regional test, with their physical style and disciplined organisation likely to offer Nigeria a different tactical challenge across both matches.
The Super Falcons, who have dominated African women’s football for decades, will be aiming to use the double-header to fine-tune preparations as they pursue another continental title in Morocco next year.
Dr Bojuwoye, a seasoned medical professional with extensive experience in road running events across Nigeria, is expected to bring added value to the race through his expertise.
As medical director, his responsibilities will include overseeing emergency medical response, coordinating first aid stations along the course, ensuring athlete safety, and supervising medical volunteers and paramedics.
His role is critical in safeguarding the health of both elite and recreational runners, as well as spectators.
In addition to unveiling its new medical director, the organisers also announced five corporate partners for the 2026 edition.
The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Petralon Energy, Razzl Drink, Dan Oil, and Carloha Motors have joined as sponsors, reflecting the race’s growing appeal across diverse sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The Okpekpe race, organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing Company, has steadily risen in prominence since becoming the first road race in Nigeria to earn World Athletics label status in 2015.
It has since advanced to Gold Label Race status, attracting elite athletes from around the world and cementing its reputation as one of Africa’s benchmark road-running competitions.
Edo State, under the leadership of Governor Monday Okpebolo, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the race, citing its role in promoting tourism, community pride, and international recognition for the region.
Race Director Zack Amodu noted that the new partnerships underscore the event’s stature and its impact beyond sport.
We are delighted to welcome DBN, Petralon, Razzl, and Carloha Motors as partners for the 11th edition. Their support, alongside the backing of Edo State, not only strengthens the race but also reinforces its role as a platform for promoting excellence, youth empowerment, and community development,’ Amodu said.
Beyond its sporting significance, the Okpekpe International 10km Road Race has become a catalyst for social, health, and economic benefits.
It encourages fitness and healthy lifestyles, fosters social cohesion by bringing communities together, and generates economic activity through tourism, hospitality, and local commerce.
The event also showcases Edo State’s cultural vibrancy while contributing to Nigeria’s growing reputation in global athletics.
The 11th edition is expected to draw elite athletes, local participants, and international attention, further consolidating Nigeria’s place on the global athletics calendar.
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