BY RAYMOND NWADUBA
Chairman of newly promoted Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side, Sporting Lagos, Godwin Enakhena, has said his team is not under any pressure to win at all costs at the Nigeria National League (NNL) Super four competition which comes up from May 4 to May 8, 2026, in Ikenne, Ogun state, rather they are going there to enjoy football.
According to the broadcaster turned football administrator,
the template of Sporting Lagos which is always to play fair and earn their results on the pitch has not changed, noting that their attitude is never to win at all costs, that they will never do that, rather they will continue to play good football and do the business of football which is the most important thing.
“We are going to Ikenne to play football”, Enakhena said. *We will let the kids enjoy football because last year we decided that none of our players will be more than 22, 23 years at the most. “A lot of the players are from our academy, so we have a lot of young players. But like I always tell them, boys go and enjoy football. So we are going to Ikenne to enjoy football and play fair. “Though we want to win but not at all costs”, he maintained.
Four privately owned clubs: Inter Lagos, Sporting Lagos, Doma United and Ranchers Bees, which have already all booked their tickets to the Nigeria elite league, NPFL, will be playing at the Super four to determine the overall NNL champions for the 2025/2026 season.
Speaking on this landmark achievement by the four privately owned clubs who picked the tickets amongst 22 government owned clubs, Enakhena has this to say: “I think it’s the way to go in Nigeria. You can hear everyone celebrating what has just happened. Four privately owned clubs picking the slots for promotion to the NPFL from where we have 22 government owned clubs. That’s fantastic”, he noted.
But as for the impact these clubs will make in the NPFL to change the narrative, Enakhena was confident to speak for his club alone: “For Sporting Lagos we’re going there to compete. We’ve been there before, this is not the first time. But I think maybe in terms of policy issues, we can now have more than two voices, which means that the minimum of six privately owned clubs going forward can come together to decide our policy direction on any given issue for our voices to be heard. I think that’s one of the things we will be adding. We are not going to change anything. Like I always tell people, we are not here to change the narrative of Nigerian football, we are just here to participate, because football and sports is big business, we want to profit from this business space”.
The Nigeria National League Club Owners and Managers Association (NALCOMA) boss stated that they have qualified from a very difficult group which Sporting Lagos wants to be overall champions. “The kids are ready, the owner of the club, Shola Akinlade is ready, he has motivated the boys and we’re going there to compete and of course win.
Enakhena further stated that the secret of the club’s success remains their focus and refusal to let go of their target and philosophy of setting up the club. “We have remained very focused, we have refused to go away from our target and the philosophy of setting up the club, which simply is to have young boys play football and enjoy themselves and do the business of football”, he concluded.
