A winning start was secured by Sporting Lagos, as a narrow 1-0 victory was recorded over Ranchers Bees in their opening fixture of the NNL Super 4 tournament at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Monday evening.
Control of the first half was largely established by the Lagos side, who had already confirmed promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League from the Southern Conference. Several attacking moves were created, and sustained pressure was applied in search of an early breakthrough.
Eventually, the decisive moment arrived in the 41st minute. After continuous pressure around the Ranchers Bees penalty area, a well delivered cross from Seun Akanji was met by Alex Leme, whose composed header was guided into the net. It marked his third consecutive goal, following earlier strikes against Rovers FC and Osun United.
Despite trailing, Ranchers Bees nearly responded before the break, as Steven Pam came close with a curling effort that narrowly missed the target.
After the restart, a more urgent approach was adopted by the Kaduna side. A number of set piece opportunities were created, with Usman Adamu seeing his free kicks repeatedly blocked.
Further attempts were also made by Steven Pam, while top scorer Kabiru Salisu was effectively contained by a disciplined Sporting Lagos defence.
As the contest progressed into its final stages, the pressure was absorbed by Sporting Lagos, who regained control of possession. Another chance was created late on, when Akanji, who had been a constant threat throughout the game, was played through by Musa Abdullahi, but the opportunity was not converted.
With the result secured, attention will now turn to the next fixture against Doma United on May 6. A strong position has been established early in the round robin tournament, as Sporting Lagos continue their push for a first NNL Super 4 title.
