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

President of Magic Stars FC, Kayode Akanji Agboola (popularly is called Alpha Kay), has attributed the membership’s stellar performance within the 2025 Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) season to the exposure and self assurance won for the length of their participation within the Viareggio Cup in Italy earlier this twelve months.

The Lagos-based completely membership travelled to Italy in March to compete within the celebrated Viareggio Cup — a ancient childhood tournament that pulls prime academy aspects from throughout the globe — as section of their preparations for the brand new NLO marketing campaign.

Magic Stars impressed on the worldwide stage, reaching the quarterfinals where they narrowly lost 1–0 to eventual champions Genoa. Their escape incorporated a 2–1 pick on over Casarano, a 4–0 rout of Apia Leichhardt U19, and a 3–0 victory against Sassuolo U18 within the community stage. They went on to defeat Pesaro 3–0 within the Round of 16 sooner than bowing out within the final eight.

Upon returning to Nigeria, the membership carried their European momentum into the domestic league, going unbeaten within the NLO’s Legacy A Centre in Lagos. They completed the everyday season with seven wins and two attracts from nine matches, scoring 24 objectives and conceding steady three.

Speaking to The Guardian, Agboola credited the crew’s maturity and composure to their journey in Italy.

“It became as soon as a supreme looking out season for my boys,” he acknowledged. “Coming from the Viareggio Cup in Italy, it became as soon as a supreme looking out tear. The journey definitely helped the crew. They played more relaxed and seemed more skilled. The outcomes explain for themselves.”

Agboola renowned that the tournament served as a turning level for the gamers, serving to them adapt like a flash to the pressures of aggressive football and raising their self assurance ahead of the league marketing campaign.

With the everyday season concluded, Magic Stars FC now shift their center of attention to the promotion playoffs, where they'll be bidding for a design within the Nigeria Nationwide League (NNL) — the 2nd tier of Nigerian football.

“This is correct the first section,” Agboola acknowledged. “We've one other section developing — the playoffs. We’re taking a witness ahead to it. As I constantly snarl, we steal up where we left off and peek how it goes.”

The membership’s rise has been swift. Formed handiest about a years ago, Magic Stars FC are now within touching distance of a design within the NNL, buoyed by a mix of youthful abilities and uncommon global journey.