The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) football team sent an early warning to their rivals as they launched their Maritime Cup title defence with an emphatic 4-2 victory over Comet Shipping in an entertaining opening fixture on Wednesday.

The defending champions wasted little time asserting their authority after kick-off at 9:54 a.m., unleashing a first-half goal blitz that left Comet Shipping struggling to recover.

Customs talisman Mikael Abubakar opened the scoring in the 10th minute, before Peter Tangaly doubled the advantage six minutes later. Vitalis Imbah made it 3-0 in the 14th minute, while Daniel Adelugba completed a devastating four-goal assault in the 19th minute.

Trailing by four goals, Comet Shipping responded through Gabriel Kuboh, who pulled one back in the 26th minute to give his side a lifeline. The contest briefly turned heated shortly before the 30-minute mark, with Customs’ Abinado Joseph receiving a yellow card for an illegal use of hands.

Comet returned from the break with renewed determination and reduced the deficit further in the seventh minute of the second half through Abdulahmed Fatai.

Buoyed by their second goal, Comet pressed for a remarkable comeback, but Customs held their ground, managing the closing stages effectively to secure all three points and begin their title defence on a winning note.

In the day’s second fixture, Dangote were awarded a walkover victory and three points after the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) team failed to show up.

Attention now shifts to Friday’s fixtures, with NIWA set to take on ABTL before a highly anticipated showdown between defending champions Customs and NIMASA.

The clash promises to be an early test of Customs’ title credentials as the battle for Maritime Cup supremacy gathers momentum.