Team Kaduna booked their spot in the Men semi-finals of the National Sports Festival’s football event—tagged Gateway Games 2024—after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Team Lagos on Friday.
In a gripping quarter-final clash, Godwin Simon emerged as the match-winner, saving Aileru Suleimon’s decisive penalty to seal Kaduna’s passage to the last four.
The encounter began with high intensity as Mamuza Yusuf struck early for Kaduna in the 15th minute. But Lagos responded in style, with Aderemi Adeoye equalizing in the 34th minute after relentless attacking pressure.
The second half saw Lagos dominate possession and create several scoring opportunities, but they failed to capitalize. Kaduna’s biggest chance came in the 75th minute, only to be denied by Lagos goalkeeper Isiaka Basit, who made a crucial save to keep his side in contention.
With the score tied 1-1 after regulation time, the match headed straight to penalties. Both teams confidently dispatched their first four spot-kicks, before the game turned in Kaduna’s favour. A bandaged Aileru Suleimon stepped up for Lagos but saw his effort saved by the alert Godwin Simon.
Abubakar Musa then stepped up for Kaduna’s fifth and final kick and calmly slotted it home, sparking wild celebrations on the Kaduna bench and crushing Lagos hopes of gold.
Team Kaduna will now face hosts Team Ogun in a highly anticipated semi-final clash. Meanwhile, Team Lagos will look ahead to the next Sports Festival in Enugu for another shot at the men’s football title.
