ValueJet Cup: Doma United, Sporting Lagos and Rangers Shine on Matchday Five
Matchday Five of the ValueJet Cup delivered another entertaining round of action, with Doma United, Sporting Lagos and Rangers International all securing victories in three matches that produced seven goals.
Doma United opened the day’s action with a 2–0 victory over Smart City after both sides went into the break without a goal.
Smart City looked the more threatening side during the opening 45 minutes, creating early pressure and testing the Doma United defence. However, their efforts failed to produce the breakthrough as the two teams remained level at half-time.
Doma United returned from the break with greater attacking intent and were rewarded in the 55th minute when Joshua Abah finished from close range to put the Savannah Tigers ahead.
Abah completed his brace 15 minutes later, converting from the penalty spot in the 70th minute to double Doma United’s advantage and effectively put the result beyond Smart City.
Sporting Lagos also recorded a 2–0 victory, defeating Abia Warriors in the second fixture of the day.
The Tech Boys took the lead in the 28th minute when Joel Ajibola reacted quickest to a rebound to give Sporting Lagos the advantage.
Sporting Lagos maintained control after the interval before extending their lead from the penalty spot, with Daniel Aboh converting to complete the 2–0 victory.
The result further underlined Sporting Lagos’ ambition as they continue to compete alongside established sides and build towards the new league season.
The day’s most dramatic encounter came in the final fixture, as Rangers International edged Shooting Stars 3–2 in a five-goal thriller.
Shooting Stars made the stronger start and took the lead through Lucky Emmanuel, who finished from close range following a dangerous cross from Jamiu Hamzat.
Rangers responded before the break, with Azeez Falolu also finishing from close range to restore parity and send the two sides into half-time level at 1–1.
The intensity continued after the restart, with Rangers taking the lead in the 60th minute and putting Shooting Stars under pressure.
The Oluyole Warriors refused to surrender, however, and Olajobi produced a composed finish to bring Shooting Stars level at 2–2.
Just when the encounter appeared destined to end in a draw, Rangers found the decisive moment in the closing stages.
Solomon Ebo struck in the 90th minute to hand Rangers International a dramatic 3–2 victory and complete a late comeback.
The result capped an entertaining contest between two familiar Nigerian football rivals, with both sides showcasing their attacking quality and determination throughout the encounter.
For Shooting Stars, the late defeat will be a frustrating outcome after twice recovering from a deficit. Rangers, meanwhile, will take confidence from their ability to remain composed and find a winning goal when the result appeared to be slipping away.
Across the three fixtures, Matchday Five produced seven goals, several standout individual performances and late drama.
Doma United showed their ability to turn a difficult first half into a convincing victory, Sporting Lagos continued to make their presence felt, while Rangers International demonstrated the resilience required to secure victory in the dying moments.
With the competition gathering momentum, the performances on Matchday Five have further raised expectations for what promises to be an exciting finish to the ValueJet Cup.