Magic Stars FC CEO Akanji Agboola has attributed the club’s outstanding performance in the 2025 Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) to the invaluable experience gained during their participation in the prestigious Viareggio Cup in Italy earlier this year, Sports247 reports .
The Lagos-based team embarked on a tour of Italy for the Viariegio Cup March as part of the preparation for the 2025 Nigeria Nationwide League One season.
Read Also: AMAPRO Joins Hand with EyeBall to Lift Youth Football With Technology
The impressed at the international tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals where they narrowly lost 1-0 to eventual champions Genoa.
Viareggio Cup Journey
Magic Stars FC’s campaign in Italy saw them dominate the group stage, defeated Cassarano 2-1 in their opening game.
The Lagos based team proceeded to defeat
Apia Leichhardt U19 by whooping 4-0 and then capped a superb group stage with 3-0 thumping of Sassuolo U18 side.
In the Round of 16, they defeated Pesaro 3-0, before their journey ended at the hands of the eventual champions Genoa by 1-0 slim loss.
Returning to Nigeria, the team translated that momentum into an impressive domestic run, finishing the regular season unbeaten in the Legacy A Centre in Lagos.
They won seven of their nine matches, drawing the remaining two, amassing 23 points, scoring 24 goals and conceding just three.
Speaking exclusively to Sports247, Akanji Agboola explained how the Italian experience transformed his team and aided their unbeaten passage into the playoffs.
“It was a wonderful season for my boys. Coming from the Viareggio Cup in Italy, it was a wonderful ride. The experience definitely helped the team. They played more relaxed and like a more experienced side. The results speak for themselves,” he said.
Agboola emphasized that the tournament gave the players confidence and composure, qualities that were evident in their dominant league campaign.
With the first phase of the season completed, the focus now shifts to the playoffs, where Magic Stars FC will battle for a coveted spot in the Nigeria National League (NNL).
Agboola speaks on the challenge : “This is just the first phase. We have another coming up , the playoffs.
” We’re looking forward to it. Like I always say, we pick it where we stop and see how it goes,” Agboola added.
Magic Stars FC now prepares for the play offs that could take into the second tier of Nigerian football a few years after their formation.
){kind=link}