Abuja derby turns brutal as Primal Sporting obliterate Golden Alchemy in Lagos Liga

Primal Sporting delivered a commanding performance in the last quarter-final game at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Saturday, 21 December 2024, dismantling fellow Abuja-based side Golden Alchemy 5-0 to claim the final semi-final place in the inaugural Lagos Liga.

A first-minute goal from Aliyu Tafida set the tone for a ruthless display, as Primal Sporting overwhelmed their opponents with clinical finishing and relentless attacking play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The game had barely started when Primal Sporting took the lead. In the very first minute, Aliyu Tafida found himself in the perfect position to finish off a well-timed pass from Hassan Abba, slotting the ball past the Golden Alchemy goalkeeper Umar Idris with composure.

Golden Alchemy, stunned by the early goal, struggled to recover as Primal Sporting dominated possession and dictated the tempo. Despite their early setback, Golden Alchemy almost drew level in the 14th minute when Joseph Sammani unleashed a powerful strike after a well-worked team move. His effort, however, crashed against the crossbar, much to the relief of Primal Sporting’s defence.

Primal Sporting continued to create chances, with Hassan Abba at the heart of their attacking movements. Mukhtar Shuaibu should have doubled the lead in the 15th minute after being played through by a beautifully weighted pass from Abba. The midfielder rounded the goalkeeper but hesitated just long enough for a defender to recover and clear the danger.

The second half saw Primal Sporting raise their intensity even further, turning their dominance into an outright demolition. In the 25th minute, Jonah Apollos made it 2-0, finishing off another assist from Hassan Abba. Just two minutes later, Tafida turned provider, setting up Hassan Lawrence, who struck a confident finish to extend the lead to 3-0.

Golden Alchemy looked completely out of ideas as Primal Sporting continued to press forward. Their captain, Hassan Abba, finally got his reward in the 37th minute with a stunning strike from outside the box. The skipper latched onto a lay-off from Tafida and rifled a shot into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper helpless.

Barely a minute later, Tafida capped off a brilliant individual performance by scoring his second goal of the match when Lawrence launched a rapid counter-attack before delivering a precise pass to Tafida, who made no mistake in tucking the ball away to make it 5-0.

With the game all but lost, Golden Alchemy attempted to salvage some pride with a series of attacking moves in the final moments. However, their efforts lacked conviction, and Sunday Stephen in the Primal Sporting goal remained largely untested. The final whistle confirmed Golden Alchemy’s elimination from the tournament, bringing their Lagos Liga campaign to an end.

Primal Sporting now joins 30BG, Applebee FC, and Tacha FC in the semi-finals, where they will face the latter team and look to continue their dominant form in pursuit of the Lagos Liga title.

MATCH STATISTICS

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

TEAM SHEETS