In a consecutive home game that held a lot of promise for us, we celebrated our first goal of the Nigeria Premier Football League with a defeat at home to Nasarawa United on match day four of the NPFL 2024/2025 season at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos.
Bright Ozebagbe made one change to the starting line up that fell to Rangers Int’l in the previous game with striker Chilaka Thankgod making his first start and Chineme Chinonso missing a place in the match day squad.
LINE UP: Faith James; Harrison Austin, Waliu Ojetoye (C), Chibuike Oheagbulam, Freedom Marvelous, Leonard Ngenge; Kelechi Onwe, Salau Yusuf, Tosin Oyedokun; Ayomide Cole & Chilaka Thankgod.
The opening exchanges saw a flurry of missed passes from Botha sides as the team tried to settle into their rhythm and fashion out something.
Ayomide Cole lost his marker a few times but his final strike was either wide or straight at the goalkeeper as the forward remained a constant threat.
Nasarawa United however went in front after a quick break left open the defense, giving Anas Yusuf the chance to face Faith James in a 1v1 situation. The keepers effort wasn’t enough to stop the strike from going in.
With time running out in the first half, we scored our first ever goal of the topflight league in the final minute of three additional first half minutes. Chilaka Thankgod met a cross from the skipper, Waliu Ojetoye to give us our first goal.
With the morale lifted by the second goal, the squad returned for the second half rejuvenated with fire and hunger for more goals.
Marvelous was earlier substituted in the first half due to injury but Moses Sodeinde and Ganiyu Adio came on after the break for Kelechi Onwe and Harrison Uzondu to add firepower and reinforcements.
It was however Nasarawa United who found the back of the net once again from a well taken freekick, curled around the wall by Kabiru Balogun.
The lads kept up the fight as Alade Somolon and Rivio Ayemwenre came on for Ayomide Cole and Chilaka ThankGod. Alade quickly established himself crafting opportunities. Alade put Moses through on goal and the midfielder turned his marker away brilliantly but hit his shot over the bar.
Alade created another opportunity for himself but his volley was well blocked by the defender as time ran out and Ikorodu City fell to a 1-2 loss at home.
UP NEXT
Ikorodu City take a trip to Jos to face Plateau United in matchday five of the NPFL 2024/2025 season on Sunday 6th October, 2024.
SUBSTITUTIONS
OUT: Freedom Marvelous IN: Adelani Shola 28’
OUT: Harrison Uzondu. IN: Adio Ganiyu 47’
OUT: Kelechi Onwe IN: Moses Sodeinde 47’
OUT: Chilaka Thankgod IN: Alade Solomon 64’
OUT: Ayomide Cole IN: Rivio Ayemwenre 64’