Sporting Lagos finally have a home win to celebrate. On Sunday at the Onikan Stadium, they beat Bendel Insurance 2-1 to claim their first home victory of the NPFL season. The man of the moment was Gafar Olaniyan, whose strike from outside the box flew into the top corner.
A nightmare start
Bendel Insurance had the perfect start. Kayode Oke scored after just 18 seconds, silencing the home crowd before most fans had settled into their seats. It was an especially awkward way to begin a day that had opened with a tribute to captain Solomon Uloko, who was given a commemorative plaque for his 50th appearance for the club.
The fightback
Sporting didn’t panic. Victor Samuel equalised in the 14th minute, and the comeback was completed eight minutes later by Olaniyan. Picking up the ball outside the area, he let fly and beat Bendel goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, a Super Eagles-capped keeper, with a shot that settled in the top corner. It was the kind of goal that decides a match and gets replayed all week.
A blow in the first half
The afternoon had its setback. Sodiq Ayoade, who scored the opening goal in the 3-0 derby win over Inter Lagos, picked up an injury in the first half and was replaced by Hilary. Fans will be watching for news on how serious it is.
Holding on
Sporting had 54% possession, 14 attempts and seven corners, and when Bendel pushed for an equaliser late on, the home side held firm. Five yellow cards were shown, two to Sporting and three to Bendel, which says plenty about how physical the game became.
What it means
The win ended a three-match winless run in which their previous three games were all draws. It also lifted them to eighth in the table on 12 points. Head coach Jeffery Buteh said after the match that he was happy with the win.
Next up is a trip to Plateau United, who climbed to third with 14 points after a 4-0 win over Kano Pillars. That will be a far tougher test, but Sporting travel with a home win and a goal of the season contender behind them.
