Viareggio Cup experience fueled Magic Stars’ unbeaten NLO run – Agboola

Magic Stars FC President Kayode Akanji Agboola (Alpha Kay) has credited the club’s remarkable 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.

The Lagos-based team traveled to Italy for the Viareggio Cup in March as part of their preparation for the 2025 NLO season.

During the international tournament, they impressed by advancing to the quarterfinals, where they narrowly lost 1-0 to the eventual champions, Genoa.

Magic Stars FC’s campaign in Italy began strong, with a 2-1 victory over Casarano in their opening match.

They continued their success by defeating Apia Leichhardt U19 with a commanding 4-0 scoreline and capped off a superb group stage with a 3-0 win against Sassuolo U18.

In the Round of 16, they triumphed over Pesaro with a score of 3-0 before their journey ended at the hands of Genoa, with a slim 1-0 defeat.

Upon 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 out of their nine matches, drew the remaining two, and accumulated 23 points, scoring 24 goals while conceding just three.

In an exclusive interview with PM News, Akanji Agboola reflected on how the experience in Italy transformed his team and contributed to their unbeaten passage into the playoffs.

“It was a wonderful season for my boys. Coming from the Viareggio Cup in Italy, it was an incredible journey. The experience definitely helped the team. They played more relaxed and appeared more experienced. The results speak for themselves,” he stated.

Agboola emphasized that the tournament instilled confidence and composure in the players, qualities that were evident throughout their dominant league campaign.

With the first phase of the season complete, the focus now shifts to the playoffs, where Magic Stars FC will compete for a coveted spot in the Nigeria National League (NNL).

Agboola acknowledged the upcoming challenge: “This is just the first phase. We have another phase coming up—the playoffs. We’re looking forward to it. As I always say, we pick up where we left off and see how it goes,” he added.

Magic Stars FC is now preparing for the playoffs that could potentially elevate them to the second tier of Nigerian football just a few years after their formation.