On a special night under the floodlights, Ikorodu City FC continued their comeback magic, sealing all three points with 10 minutes to go as we defeated Plateau United 2-1 in a Nigeria Premier Football League Matchday 25 clash at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos.
In a surprise visit by newly appointed Super Eagles head coach Eric Sekou Chelle, Oga Boys dug deep to come from behind once again and claim victory. The match started unusually slow for our lads, with an early performance lacking the intensity we are known for. However, we had our first real chance in the 9th minute, when Adelani Shola’s strike went inches over the bar.
LINEUP: Faith James; Waliu Ojetoye, Harrison Uzondu, Chibuike Oheagbulam, Freedom Marvelous; Olatunji Abdulmalik, Onwe Kelechi, Adelani Shola; Tosin Oyedokun, Ajeyigbe Toyeeb, Chineme Chinonso.
The visitors implemented a physical game plan and came close to scoring in the 19th and 22nd minutes, but our center-back pairing of Chibuike Oheagbulam and Freedom Marvelous showed their defensive quality, neutralizing counter attacks and protecting goalkeeper, Faith James.
Tosin Oyedokun nearly found the opener in the 27th minute, but his shot went wide. In the 32nd minute, Ajeyigbe Toyeeb missed a chance after being put through on goal by Chineme Chinonso.
Plateau United took the lead in the 38th minute through a swift counterattack, as Albert Hillary slotted a low strike into the bottom corner, leaving Faith James with no chance.
We almost found an equalizer before the break when midfielder Kelechi Onwe unleashed a tricky shot from outside the box, forcing a reaction from the visitors’ goalkeeper. Just like in our last two home games, we ended the first half trailing.
The second half saw a much improved performance as we pushed the visitors deep into their half, limiting their attacking opportunities. In the 56th minute, our gaffer Nurudeen Aweroro made a double substitution, bringing on Dada Oladimeji and Ayomide Cole for Toyeeb Ajeyigbe and Chineme Chinonso.
The substitutes made an instant impact. In the 58th minute, Dada dribbled past his marker and unleashed a powerful shot on target, but the goalkeeper reacted well to deny him. In the 62nd minute, Cole won a loose ball in defense, spotted the goalkeeper off his line, and attempted a cheeky lob, but the effort went just off target.
The pressure finally paid off in the 74th minute when Olatunji Abdulmalik stabbed home a finish from Shola Adelani’s pass, turning tension into celebration for our incredible supporters.
Just when we thought the equalizer was the biggest moment of the night, six minutes later (80th minute), Tosin Oyedokun fired a stunning strike into the net, completing the comeback. The goal sent the fans into wild celebrations—much to the delight of our special guest, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle.
The match ended 2-1 in favor of Ikorodu City, claiming our first win over the former league winner in our debut season.
UP NEXT
Following this impressive win over Plateau United, the team now turns its attention to Matchday 26, where they will travel to face Bendel Insurance, aiming to build on the valuable point earned in our last away game at Nasarawa and do the league double over the Benin boys. However, in between all that, the team faces a tricky Lagos FA Cup run that can see us play all the way from Thursday to Sunday.
SUBSTITUTES
OUT: Chineme Chinonso IN: Ayomide Cole 56’
OUT: Toyeeb Ajeyigbe IN: Dada Oladimeji 56’
OUT: Kelechi Onwe IN: Moses Shodeinde 73’
OUT: Shola Adelani IN: Nasiru Suleiman 87’
BOOKINGS
Freedom Marvelous
Moses Shodeinde