It’s been a really interesting first half of the season with so many difficult moments mixed with good results that has ensured Ikorodu City lead the Nigeria National League (NNL23) Conference B table heading into the mid-season break.
Contrary to the previous 2022/23 NNL season that had only eight games in the regular season of our Southern Conference group B, this season is the regular length with twenty games in our conference.
After ten games, Ikorodu City top the Conference B table with eighteen points, just one ahead of rivals in second place, International Lagos and two ahead of third placed Crown FC of Ogbomoso who will be our first opoonents in the second half of the season.
THE FIRSTS!
We opened our season campaign with a 1-0 loss in Enugu against Giant Brillars. It was our first game of the 2023/24 NNL season, first away game of the season, first loss of the season and first loss away from home. It also registered the first goal we conceded in the league and at that, the first goal we conceded in the second half as the first half ended in a shut out.
Out of action the next weekend and our next game on Matchday three became our first home game of the season as we hosted Uyo-based side, FC ONE Rocket. Our first goal of the season was registered and it was also our first penalty goal of the season, scored by Salami Farouk. The strike also went down as the first goal of the season in the first half of a game for us. Salami Farouk then turned provider, grabbing the first assist of the season for us after he set up Tosin Oyedokun for his first goal of the season and our first goal in the second half of a game. It became the first game we scored two goals in the league. That goal by Tosin became the first goal from open play for the club.
International Lagos was next and it produced our first goal away from home, scored by Salami Farouk (goals in back to back games). It was also our first point on the road as the game ended one-all.
That was the start of our unbeaten run for the first time. Five consecutive games without a loss. Win over FC ONE Rocket, Gateway United and Warri Wolves at home with away draws against International Lagos and Tradesafe sandwiched between.
Salami Farouk became the first player for the club to score in consecutive games when he scored a beauty against International Lagos to add to his goal against FC ONE Rocket the previous week.
The game against Gateway United produced many firsts for us. Overall, it was the first time we scored four goals in a game this season, hence our biggest win of the season. It was also the first time we scored three goals in one half, making the first half of that game our highest scoring half this season. Paul Aderibigbe scored his first goal ever for the club in his second season and what a beauty it was to open the rout against Gateway United. Abikoye Uthman became the first player to come on from the bench and score for Ikorodu City. The striker was introduced as a first half change and ten minutes later, he rounded the goalkeeper for his first goal of the season. The striker was not done as he became the first player to score a brace for the club this season, netting in the 90th minute. Salami Farouk scored his third goal of the season, the first Ikorodu City player to score three goals in the season and also the first to score in three consecutive games.
Warri Wolves was next to produce a first for Ikorodu City. Centre-back Habeeb Musa became the first defender to score a goal for the club this season with his near post header to open the scoring against Warri Wolves. Not a first, but Paul scored arguably the goal of the season and goal of the week around the world when he went past three defenders on his own all from just beyond the centre circle before unleashing a strike capable of bursting through the goal net to seal our win.
Osun United at home was another game that produced a first for us. Paul Aderibigbe’s lone goal gave us maximum point and for the first time in the season, we went to the summit of the league table after that Matchday nine round of fixtures.
Two games till mid-season and firsts were still manifesting. Ijebu United on the road was the next when Salau Yusuf scored our first goal directly from a set piece. No, it wasn’t a freekick, Salau Yusuf scored directly from a corner kick. The first in the league this season as a matter of fact.
And from firsts to last, we played our last game of the first half of the season against Crown FC of Ogbomoso with a 3-1 win to stay top of the table into the break. Left back Austin Harrison scored his first goal of the 2023/24 NNL league season. Tosin joined Abikoye Uthman on the brace list, becoming the first player to score a first half brace for Ikorodu City this season and worthy of note, we never conceded a goal first in all five home games of the first half of the season. In fact, Ikorodu City are unbeaten at home so far this season.
The second round of fixtures has been set to start on Friday, 1st March 2024 and we begin with a trip to Ogbomoso to take on Crown FC.