Crown FC and Sporting Lagos kicked off their 2025 Gold Cup campaigns with confident victories, winning 2-0 and 1-0 respectively against Seamoriowo FC and GreenLock FC at the FC Ebedei Stadium in Apele-Sagamu.
In the opening matches of Group A and B, the two Nigerian National League teams battled hard to break down the defensive formations of their Nationwide League One opponents.
During the first half of the game between GreenLock FC and Sporting Lagos, the NLO team missed several opportunities and should have taken the lead but failed to convert their half-chances.
Sporting Lagos displayed their strength in the latter part of the match, with Lasisi Alabi scoring the opening goal in the 69th minute. He capitalized on a poor pass from Prince Ogo, the goalkeeper for GreenLock FC, to find the back of an empty net, securing the win for Sporting Lagos and placing them at the top of Group B, pending the outcome of the Sunshine Stars versus FC Ebedei match.
Ebenezer Odeyemi, one of the most experienced goal poachers in the Nigerian league, showcased his skills after coming on in the second half.
In just 20 minutes of play, he scored two goals for his team Crown FC, after departing Osun United.
Seamoriowo FC started brightly, with hopes of causing an upset, and ended the first half with their heads held high. However, the introduction of Odeyemi in the second half allowed Crown FC to command play and dominate Seamoriowo FC for the decisive victory.
It took 12 minutes for Odeyemi to get his two goals, scoring his first in the 62nd minute and sealing the game with his second in the 74th.
After two matches on MatchDay One, Odeyemi leads the goal-scoring chart with two goals.
