Sporting Lagos have secured a return to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) after a narrow 1–0 win over Osun United at the Lanre Leke Stadium in Ileogbo on Thursday.
The decisive result meant the Lagos-based side clinched promotion on the final day, edging out Akwa United in a tense race for topflight qualification.
Going into the fixture, Sporting Lagos knew victory was essential, with Akwa United just a point behind and also in contention for promotion. Although Akwa United defeated Solution FC in their own match, it was not enough to overtake Sporting Lagos on the table.
Forward Alex Leme became the hero of the day, scoring in the 17th minute after being set up by his strike partner Aliyu Baba. His finish proved enough to seal all three points and spark celebrations among supporters.
Osun United had a chance to level the encounter in the first half after being awarded a penalty, but they failed to convert, a miss that proved costly in the tightly contested encounter.
At the end of the 2025/26 Nigeria National League (NNL) season, Sporting Lagos finished top of their promotion group, just one point ahead of Akwa United, who settled for second place.
The result confirms Sporting Lagos’ return to the NPFL after two seasons in the second tier, marking a successful end to their campaign.
