Sporting Lagos coach stays hopeful after loss

Sporting Lagos coach Jeffery Buter believes his team will get better after their 2-0 loss to Abia Warriors on Sunday, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Sporting came into the match fresh off a 3-0 win against Inter Lagos at the Onikan Stadium on matchday three. But they could not keep the momentum going and faced their first home loss of the season.

The home team held on until the last minutes when Ikoi Etta scored for Abia Warriors in the 88th minute. Former NPFL top scorer Emeka Obioma then scored again in the 90th minute, sealing Sporting's defeat in their first home match since returning to the NPFL.

This loss leaves Sporting with three points and a spot at 15th on the table after one win and two losses from their first three games.

“It’s a long season. One defeat doesn’t define our season. We won away from home and we lost at home; it tells you that anything can happen.

“This is gone and we’ll put it behind us as quickly as possible and focus on Enyimba.”

Sporting will face a tough Enyimba team in Aba on Wednesday. Enyimba is also looking for their first points of the season after losing all their opening matches.

Sunday’s match was Sporting’s first home game in the NPFL since their relegation in 2024. They could not celebrate their return with a win in front of their fans.

Buter expressed his happiness with the fans’ support despite the loss. “It’s good to see them; you could feel the energy. It’s disappointing; the result is not what we wanted for them, but it’s always nice to have them back.

“It’s going to be a long season and I’m very optimistic about it and, like I said, this defeat doesn’t define our season. We will get better as the season goes on.”