By Chigozie Chukwuleta
“The presence of many clubs in Lagos gives us good competition” – that’s what Sporting Lagos’ Shola Adegun believes is crucial to the team’s growth. Despite a thrilling 3-3 away draw against Solution FC in their last league game in Awka, Adegun saw positives in the competitive environment fostered by multiple clubs in Lagos. In this exclusive interview, Adegun shares his thoughts on the team’s performance and the benefits of having numerous clubs in Lagos.
Excerpts
Q. How would you describe your game against Solution FC where your almost secured victory slipped out of your hands
A. It is a painful one, we were really close. For us to lose it right at the end is quite painful and difficult to wrap our heads around it honestly. Especially when you score a goal in injury time, it is a difficult ending to the season for us. It is difficult to say anything less than that.
Q. Your assessment is that you lost the game, but this was the midseason it would have been a huge point but let us look at the positive. What positive would you like to take from this match and from the season in entirety?
A. From this match I am not sure there is too much to take from it positively out of it. We needed 3 miracles, results went out way yesterday (Saturday )for the other teams that were vying for play off. We had to win today to stay in contention and still hope that the final day results will go in our favour. We came very very close today and it gives you a feeling of regret, knowing that we should have done it and it’s not midseason it is the end of the season.
Q. Your take on treble star, Aliu Baba today and the changes you made while trailing 1-2
A. He has done well and that would be one positive to take from the game that his performance was really good. He scored three goals and he put in a really good defensive shift for the team as well and the decisions we made to change players was to add extra energy, give the team a different dimension. We got the goal that we felt put us over the bar but at the end it was not enough.
Q. Coach 2025, has ended although there is still one match to go but for you it has ended. What do you want to take from this season of NNL 2025?
A. Honestly we have to introspect a lot and see where we made mistakes and where we can improve for the next season and right now the emotions are too much so I can’t clearly say we are going to do this and this. That’s something for us to review when we are in a better mental place to do so.
Q. Lagos had four teams, Sporting Lagos, Madiba FC, First Bank FC, InterLagos in the league, what do you make of that?
A. There are more teams so there is a lot of internal rivalry amongst us, everyone wants to be better than the others so that gives us good competition that basically keeps us on our toes. The competition allows us have the right concentration
