'Inter Lagos were cooked' — Shooting Stars punish noisy new boys in chaotic quantitative derby

The social media banter war is officially over, and the traditional giants of Ibadan have put the noisy new boys firmly in their place.

In a highly anticipated, fiery Southwest derby to open the new Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, Shooting Stars (3SC) survived a massive scare to defeat newly promoted Inter Lagos 2-1 at a packed Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba.

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All three goals were scored during a wild and chaotic first half, after which the Ibadan warriors packed their defense to secure a monumental opening-day victory, their first Matchday 1 win in four long years.

For days leading up to kickoff, Inter Lagos and Shooting Stars’ official handles flooded the internet with crazy graphics war to show they were ready to take over the region. 

But when the referee blew the whistle, Shooting Stars showed them that top-flight football is not played on a mobile phone screen.

The hosts used a terrifying high-pressing tactic from the blast of the whistle. In the 15th minute, the pressure paid off when Lucky Emmanuel found pocket space inside the penalty box and drilled a low shot into the net to make it 1-0.

Inter Lagos proved they are a difficult nut to crack, fighting back just seven minutes later. In the 22nd minute, Damilare Adigun met a brilliant cross to slot home a quick equaliser, scoring Inter's first-ever goal in the top division.

The match looked heading for a draw at the break, but deep into first-half injury time, the stadium completely exploded with noise.

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In the 45+1st minute, Sodiq Ibrahim found the back of the net with a clinical finish to restore 3SC's lead. In the second half, Inter Lagos threw everything forward in a desperate search for an equaliser, but Shooting Stars' defensive wall held perfectly firm through six agonizing minutes of extra time to secure the bragging rights.

Immediately after the final whistle, triumphant Shooting Stars fans completely flooded social media to mock Inter Lagos for failing to back up their internet arrogance.

“Inter Lagos were cooked after the banter war,” one fan laughed on X (formerly Twitter).

Another supporter directly mocked their failed marketing stunt, posting: “That QR code way you burn, your eyes don clear now?”

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However, some tactical Ibadan fans warned that the team still needs heavy coaching adjustments if they want to fight for the title this year.

"A good start for us," a supporter noted. "But there are areas that should be improved, like trying to be calmer and more patient when we have the ball."

Shooting Stars have successfully defended their territory, proving that while Inter Lagos might know how to run a social media account, Ibadan still knows exactly how to run the pitch.