By Wale Mustapha
Ikorodu City coach, Bright Ozebagbe, has expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s overall performance, despite their 2-1 victory over Plateau United in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on Sunday.
The Oga Boys held on to secure the three points in a Matchday 13 encounter at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos, with Joseph Arumala and Alade Balogun finding the net for Ikorodu City. Wisdom Ndom’s lone strike was all Plateau United could muster in reply.
However, despite the win, Ozebagbe was critical of his team’s defensive lapses, particularly the goal they conceded, which he attributed to a momentary loss of concentration.
“I’m disappointed with our failure to keep a clean sheet in the game against Plateau United,” Ozebagbe told Ikorodu City media.
“We worked on defending throw-ins close to the box, but at that moment, the players switched off, and the goal came in. I’m not happy with it.”
The win has propelled Ikorodu City to the top of the NPFL standings with 24 points from 13 matches. Despite the result, Ozebagbe’s focus remains on improving his team’s consistency and defensive discipline.
Ikorodu City will look to maintain their position at the summit when they travel to face Kano Pillars at the Mohammed Dikko Stadium in Katsina on Sunday.
The coach will be hoping for a stronger defensive display to complement their attacking efforts as they continue their title challenge.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
