Nafta Secures Promotion Back to Top Slovenian League with Last-Minute Goal

Nafta has secured promotion back to the top Slovenian football league, the PrvaLiga Telemach, after a dramatic 1-0 victory over Primorje in the second leg of their playoff tie. The decisive goal came in the dying moments of the match, sending the Lendava-based club back to the elite division.

The hero of the day was Amadej Maroša, who netted the winning goal in the 93rd minute. This strike followed a goalless draw in the first leg played mid-week in Ajdovščina, meaning Nafta clinched the promotion spot with a 1-0 aggregate scoreline. The club's swift return to the top flight comes just one season after they were relegated as the last-placed team.

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The winning goal came in the 93rd minute.

Nafta dominated much of the second division season but faltered in the final two rounds, dropping a five-point lead and necessitating the playoff qualification. Maroša, the 32-year-old forward, has been instrumental, scoring 21 goals this season. His playoff goals were crucial, including one disallowed for offside early in the match and his game-winning header in stoppage time.

Primorje, conversely, will be relegated to the 2. SNL after two seasons in the top flight. They join Brinje Grosuplje, the second division champions, in moving up to the PrvaLiga Telemach for the 2026/27 season, which will also feature established clubs like Celje, Koper, Bravo, Maribor, Olimpija, Kalcer Radomlje, Aluminij, and Mura.

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Nafta has returned to the elite competition expressively, after being directly relegated to the second league last year as the last-placed team in the PrvaLiga Telemach.