Paul Offor will lead Akwa United into a high-stakes Nigeria National League (NNL) fixture against his former club Sporting Lagos, set to take place today at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.
Offor — the same coach who engineered Sporting Lagos’ promotion to the top flight in 2023 now finds himself in a battle for promotion with Akwa United.
This marks his first return to face Sporting Lagos since his departure in 2024. Both clubs, relegated or demoted from the NPFL, are fighting for just one promotion slot from NNL’s Conference B upping the intensity of today’s encounter.
Akwa United travelled to Lagos on Monday via Ibom Air and trained on Tuesday to acclimatise to the pitch at Mobolaji Johnson Stadium ahead of the showdown.
Coming off a 1–1 draw in the Ibom Derby where a stoppage-time equaliser rescued a point Offor insists the focus has shifted solely to Sporting Lagos. “We are still on course for our target, which is promotion,” he said, stressing the need to recover dropped points.
With the NNL Conference B table tightly bunched six teams on seven points this match represents more than local pride it could define the promotion trajectory for either side.
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Editorial
There are fixtures that carry more weight than appears on paper. Today’s clash between Akwa United and Sporting Lagos is one of them not merely a contest for three points, but a collision of past loyalties, fresh ambitions and the unforgiving arithmetic of promotion. For Paul Offor, returning to Lagos is not an act of nostalgia it is a confrontation with legacy and expectations.
At 39, Offor is more than a young tactician he is emblematic of a new generation bridging ambition with pragmatism. He once lifted Sporting Lagos into the NPFL pantheon now he seeks the same for Akwa United. That’s not treachery that is football’s unrelenting forward motion. In the huddle today, the memories of past triumphs will matter less than discipline, hunger and clarity of purpose.
Promotion is seldom granted it must be earned, brick by brick. The tightness of the standings, the pressure of expectations, the ripple effect on lives these are the real stakes. For the players, it’s more than next-season plans it’s a lifeline. For Offor, it is validation. And for the fans … it may just be redemption.
The stadium may echo with familiar voices, but the script is yet to be written. Tonight, those who came seeking applause may instead be met with silence and those desperate for a breakthrough may find their moment. Football rarely forgives hesitation. Offor knows that. And so must his boys.
Did You Know?
- While at Sporting Lagos, Offor led them to promotion in the 2023/24 NPFL season helping the club secure its first-ever place in Nigeria’s top tier.
- Prior to joining Akwa United this season, Offor briefly accepted a coaching job at Kano Pillars a deal that was reversed before the 2024/25 campaign began.
- Akwa United were relegated from the NPFL at the end of the 2024/25 season, prompting a major overhaul including new management and Offor’s appointment.
- Sporting Lagos, under Offor’s initial tenure, also clinched their first silverware by winning the Naija Super 8 competition a milestone in the club’s history.
- Only the top team in each NNL Conference is promoted at the end of the season meaning this match between Akwa United and Sporting Lagos carries significant implications for both clubs’ ambitions to return to the NPFL.
