Sporting Lagos emerged victorious in the B17 Gothia Puma Trophy, defeating Japanese side FC Tokyo 4-0 in the final at Gamla Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, with an impressive 8,630 spectators in attendance.
Coach Shola Adegun described the win as a “huge success” on away turf, praising his team’s dominant performance in the tournament.
The Lagos boys started strong, with Abdullahi Yusuf scoring the opening goal, followed by Babatunde Akomolede who was adjudged the most valuable player of the tournament while Lucky John grabbed a brace to complete the route for the championship title.
Adegun, who joined Sporting Lagos less than a year ago, was overjoyed and credited the players for their self-motivation and ambition.
“I think it’s a huge success to come into an international tournament and win it,” Adegun said in an interview.
“The boys are self-motivated, and they have big ambitions for themselves. This is a massive opportunity, and credit to them for believing and competing every day.”
Adegun acknowledged that his team might have been lucky against FC Tokyo, who had been invincible throughout the tournament, winning all their games and scoring 14 goals while conceding just three. However, the Japanese team ran out of steam within ten minutes of play, allowing Sporting Lagos to gain an advantage and claim the coveted trophy.
“I think we were lucky the opponent was tired,” Adegun admitted. “But credit to us, we were physically fit and ready. We tried to attack and defend at the same time, and our goalkeeper made some crucial saves to stop the opponents. It was a collective effort, and credit to everyone for achieving this feat.”
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