By Dayo Awoniyi
Ikorodu City have wrapped up a frantic 24 hours in the transfer market, unveiling four new signings as they gear up for the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
The standout addition is Liberia’s first-choice goalkeeper, Derrick Julu, who joins on a two-year deal. A two-time Liberian First Division champion with Watanga FC, Julu brings international pedigree and a winning mentality to the Lagos outfit as they look to push beyond mid-table obscurity.
Also through the door are two strikers and a midfielder. Uchechukwu Onyemaechi, formerly of Ijebu United, arrives on a multi-year contract to sharpen Ikorodu’s cutting edge in attack, while ex-Sporting Lagos forward Taiwo Alao adds further depth in the final third.
The midfield gets a boost with Rasheed Owolabi, secured from Inter Lagos on a two-year deal.
Founded in 2022, Ikorodu City have quickly gained a reputation for unearthing young talent and playing fearless football. Last season, they impressed in flashes but fell short of consistency, a shortcoming the management believe these reinforcements can correct.
The Oga Boys will have little time to bed in their new faces, as they kick off their NPFL campaign with a stern test away to Kwara United on August 22 in Ilorin.
With four fresh additions, Ikorodu City are signalling intent to make a statement from the opening whistle of the new season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
