Inter Lagos make their maiden top-flight appearance at Shooting Stars, with head coach Shakiru Giwa insisting the club is aiming higher than survival.
Inter Lagos make their first-ever appearance in the NPFL top flight away to Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) in Ibadan on Friday, August 28 — the standalone curtain-raiser to the 2026/27 season.
Head coach Shakiru Giwa has set out ambitions well beyond survival, saying Inter Lagos are determined to establish themselves as serious contenders rather than make up the numbers in their debut top-flight season. Giwa has framed the club’s project around competitiveness, squad development and building a winning culture capable of challenging the league’s established powers.
Inter Lagos have been based at the Ilaji Sports Resort in Ibadan for an intensive pre-season camp, with coaches assessing the fitness of returning players while also using trial sessions to look at potential new signings ahead of the campaign.
Inter Lagos’s promotion means three Lagos-based clubs — Sporting Lagos, Ikorodu City and Inter Lagos — will compete in the NPFL simultaneously for the first time in the league’s history, a landmark moment for the city’s football scene.
Who do Inter Lagos play in their 2026/27 opener?
Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), away in Ibadan, on Friday, August 28 — the season’s curtain-raiser.
Who is Inter Lagos’s head coach for 2026/27?
Shakiru Giwa, who has said the club is targeting the title rather than just survival in its debut top-flight season.
Inter Lagos Team Hub · Shooting Stars Team Hub
Sources: Obaland Magazine, Talk Talk Nigeria, The Guardian Nigeria.
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