By SCM Sport Desk I Thursday, Sept 24, 2026
ABA, Abia – Nine-time Nigerian champions Enyimba FC suffered yet another catastrophic collapse on home turf, surrendering two leads to fall 3-2 against a rampant Sporting Lagos side in a pulsating Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday Five clash at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba.
The People’s Elephant appeared set to steady the ship following a turbulent start to the campaign, but the Tech Boys from Lagos tore up the script. In doing so, Sporting Lagos handed the Aba giants their second consecutive home defeat and deepened the growing crisis surrounding the nine-time NPFL winners.
The high-octane encounter erupted into life late in the first half. Enyimba’s experienced forward Stanley Dimgba broke the deadlock in the 44th minute with a razor-sharp finish to send the home support into raptures right before the interval. However, the advantage proved fleeting once the second period commenced.
Sporting Lagos burst out of the tunnel with renewed vigor and restored parity in the 52nd minute when clever attacking movement set up Aliu Abdullahi to slot home the equalizer.
The Aba faithful barely had time to digest the setback before Enyimba hit back. Just two minutes later, in the 54th minute, Tobi Iyanda stepped up to convert a coolly taken penalty, placing the ball past the keeper to restore Enyimba’s 2-1 lead.
Yet, Sporting Lagos refused to bow down in the hostile Aba atmosphere. Pushing forward with brave, attacking football, the visitors leveled the contest once more in the 65th minute through a precise strike from Haruna Hadi.
Sensing vulnerability in the home defense, Sporting Lagos completed the dramatic turnaround four minutes later. In the 69th minute, Daniel Aboh latched onto a golden opportunity to fire home the winning goal, capping off a remarkable second-half blitz and establishing a 3-2 cushion that the visitors defended heroically until the final whistle.
Statistically, the encounter offered a fascinating contrast between Enyimba’s early territorial dominance and Sporting Lagos’ lethal efficiency in transition. Over the 90 minutes, Enyimba managed to carve out eleven total shot attempts, with four finding the target. In contrast, Sporting Lagos demonstrated surgical precision in front of goal, generating eight total shots and directing five squarely on target, three of which breached the Enyimba net.
Enyimba controlled the tempo across long stretches of the first period, finishing the match with fifty-four percent of total ball possession, while Sporting Lagos accounted for forty-six percent. The host side earned six corner kicks to the visitors’ three, frequently probing down the flanks to disrupt the Lagos backline.
Discipline was tested in a frantic second half that featured twenty-nine total fouls; Enyimba accrued sixteen fouls and three yellow cards, whereas Sporting Lagos committed thirteen fouls, earning two yellow cards as they fiercely defended their advantage during seven minutes of stoppage time.
Ultimately, Sporting Lagos emerged as the sole away side to collect maximum points on the matchday, leaving Enyimba stranded near the bottom of the NPFL standings.