Sporting Lagos Sack Head Coach, Paul Offor; Appoint Abdulahi Biffo
By Felix Kuyinu
Nigeria Premier Football League side, Sporting Lagos, have parted ways with head coach, Paul Offor, replacing him with erstwhile Kwara United manager, Abdulahi Biffo, for the remainder of the season.
The head coach was sacked alongside his technical crew on Wednesday.
Offor leaves the Mobolaji Johnson Arena outfit sitting 11th on the NPFL log with eight league games remaining.
The club sitting just four points adrift from the relegation places confirmed Offor’s contract termination saying, “On behalf of everyone at Sporting Lagos, the club would like to express its gratitude to coach Paul for his efforts and achievements during his time with the club.
“Coach Paul will forever have a place in Sporting Lagos history after leading us to our first-ever NPFL promotion and winning our first-ever piece of silverware — the Naija Super 8. The club and fans alike will miss the energy and polish he brought to the touchline.
“After reviewing our performance so far this season, the club believes it is the right time to make a change.”
Offor’s last game as manager of the club was a 1nill hard fought win over fellow south-western club, Sunshine Stars, on Tuesday in what became the clubs final home league fixture of the season.
A Sporting Lagos official, who preferred to opine on anonymity, said Biffo has been announced as the head coach of the NPFL new boys.
“Yes, coach Paul and his crew have indeed been relieved of their duties and the new man coming is Biffo with his assistant as well,” he said.
He recounted the experience within the club leading to the dismissal of Offor saying, “If you are looking for one thousand ways to die, one of it is to support Sporting Lagos. How in the world would we be at home and opponents will be pressing us like our lives are about to leave us? You can imagine we were leading 1-0 and we had our hearts in our mouths. We were practically praying that the referee should end the game.”
Sporting have won 10 games this season, drawing two and losing 12 in the process.
35-year-old Offor guided Sporting Lagos from the lower Nigeria National League, NNL, to the NPFL last year, a few months after joining them from Cotonou-based Premier League club, Djeffa FC.
He spent a year and one month in charge at the club
