NPFL: Relegation-threatened Sporting Lagos fans attack match officials after losing first home game

Fans of NPFL debutants, Sporting Lagos, launched an attack on the match officials and their players after losing their first home game at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Soccernet.ng reports.

After about a season when the club was founded, they gained promotion to the Nigerian top-flight league, launching their entry with victory in the maiden Naija Super 8 tournament.

The noisy Lagosians started the NPFL journey on a decent note, losing just one game from their first five. At the turn of the year, they picked up some decent results that saw them go as high as 12th place on the table, before making a shocking decision to sack Coach Paul Offor, the man who promoted the team to the NPFL.

The club appointed former Kwara United manager, Abdullahi Biffo to take over the reins, but things haven’t gone according to plan. Under Biffo, Sporting Lagos have won just one game from six.

Sporting were 16th going into the NPFL Matchday 36 and needed a win to move further up the table to avoid relegation. At half-time, they were trailing by two goals to Plateau United and Jonathan Alukwu’s 69th-minute goal could only serve as a consolation for the noisy Lagosians.

Some of the decisions the referee made during the game did not go down well with the fans. With the results not in their favour, after the game, the fans launched an attack on the referee, other match officials, and even their players. Watch the video here.

It is yet to be known the punishment that will be meted out by the League’s governing body over the club’s unsportsmanlike behaviour. To make things worse, Sporting Lagos are now in danger of relegating, as they’re 17th on the league table, and need six points from their final two games to be assured safety in the NPFL.

They face Enyimba on Sunday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena. Gombe United and Heartland have been officially relegated from the NPFL.