Sporting Lagos and Doma United have become the latest teams to suffer a dramatic fall from grace, joining an infamous list of teams that have gone from top to bottom in the NPFL.

Sporting Lagos

The two teams, who at one point sat atop the table, failed to secure their top-flight status and will now be relegated to the lower division, Footballrover reports.

This heartbreaking collapse has been devastating for the fans, with the Noisy Lagosians and Savannah Tigers becoming only the second and third teams since Taraba FC in 2005 to suffer such a fate.

According to Opta Nigeria, Sporting Lagos and Doma United are the first teams since Taraba FC (2005) to be relegated after spending at least a matchday on top of the table in an unabridged season.

Despite their early-season promise, Sporting Lagos and Doma United were unable to sustain their form, ultimately paying the price for their inconsistency.

The last game of the season, matchday 38, saw Doma United manage to salvage a 1-1 draw with Abia Warriors at the Gombe Township Stadium in Pantami.

Meme Okike found the opener 32 minutes into the game for the Umuahia Boys before Emmanuel Jesam restored parity for the home side just three minutes into the second period of the game, and it ended that way.

And as for Sporting Lagos, it was a different ball game at the Lekan Salami Stadium as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Shooting Stars.

Christian Pyagbara’s first-half goal was the difference between both sides. It was his 10th goal of the campaign.

Doma United

Following their defeat in Ibadan, Sporting Lagos FC were officially relegated from the NPFL over the weekend. 

One thing is certain, however: Sporting Lagos and Doma United will have to rebuild and regroup if they hope to reclaim their top-flight status in the seasons to come.

But for now, the Tech Boys will have to make a return to division two, the NNL, after just a season in Nigeria’s top-flight league.

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