Sporting Lagos coach Jeffery Buter is feeling confident as the club gets ready for the Nigeria Premier Football League. This will be their second time competing in the top league, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Buter told fans they can start dreaming again after leading the team to victory in the ValueJet Pre-Season tournament in Ikenne on Sunday.
Sporting Lagos won against Remo Stars with a score of 2-1. Aliyu Baba and Sodiq Ayoade scored in the second half, while Taiwo Oyetunde got Remo Stars’ only goal.
The Lagos team went unbeaten in the tournament. They defeated Abia Warriors twice, beat Shooting Stars, and had a goalless draw with Rivers United.
With the tournament now finished, Sporting Lagos will take their ValueJet Cup win into preparations for the new NPFL season. They aim to continue their strong performance from the off-season.
“This was the test we were looking for. We just got promoted to the NPFL after two seasons away. Competing against the best teams in the country, three teams on the continent, and a very good Remo team shows the level that we are at, and I think we can even get better,” said Buter.
“We are starting to get used to winning in tough places. Last season, we won five away games, and we clinched the championship on the opponents’ grounds. For the players, it’s a good test for them to maintain their mentality even after we conceded.”
“It’s a league with 38 games. We are going to compete, and I believe the fans can dream this season.”
Sporting Lagos was relegated in 2024 after just one season in the top flight. Buter took over as coach in 2025 and successfully brought the team back to the top league.
After spending two seasons in the lower division, they made a comeback to the NPFL in May. They secured promotion with a tough 1-0 win over Osun United in Ilogbo on the last day of the regular season.
They will kick off their NPFL journey again on August 30 with an away match against Doma United in Gombe.
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