The Naija Super Eight zonal playoffs, which began on Friday with all matches played at the remodeled Akwa Ibom Stadium in Eket, ended on Sunday, with three of the four teams billed to represent the country in next season’s CAF inter-club championships qualifying from their regions. But two of the six teams that made the journey to Lagos are from the lower Nigeria National League (NNL).

Yobe Desert Stars and Katsina United defied pundits permutations to book their tickets for the Naija Super Eight tournament to be staged at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos. They stopped two Premier League teams, Gombe United and Kano Pillars respectively.

On Saturday, reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Enyimba, won the Oriental derby against Heartland of Owerri 1-0 to claim the Southeast zonal ticket and joined the duo of Remo Stars (Southwest) and Lobi Stars of Makurdi (North Central), who got their tickets on Friday.

They were joined by 2022 NPFL champions, Rivers United of Port Harcourt, who, on Sunday, defeated Federation Cup kings, Bendel Insurance of Benin, for the Southsouth ticket.

After the battle of Eket, the Stars from Damaturu, who shocked Gombe United (an NPFL side) 2-1 in the Northeast playoff, and their counterparts from Katsina United, who edged the Arewa derby against Kano Pillars 1-0 to earn the Northwest ticket, vowed to create more upsets in the money spinning Naija Super Eight contest.

Speaking with The Guardian, Samson Olasofo, who scored the winner for Katsina United against their more illustrious archrivals, Kano Pillars, said his aim is to record more goals in the competition in Lagos.

“This competition is good for our club football and we will make good use of the opportunity that comes our way,” he said. “Now that we have scaled through the first hurdle in Eket, our focus is on the main event in Lagos. Nigerians should watch out for us,” he enthused.

An official of Yobe Stars had earlier told The Guardian, after their victory over Gombe United, that they are determined to create more upsets in Lagos.

With six of the teams already known, the organisers of the Super Eight, Flykite Productions, is set to announce the two wild-card entries to make up the number for the tournament billed to kick-off in Lagos on July 7.