Ikorodu City Prove Ready For NPFL By Beating Al

We knew we needed to suffer a lot, we needed to work a lot, we needed to try not to allow them comfortable, and it worked out for us, especially how we got the second goal.” On whether the win over Al–Merrikh and draw against Remo Stars means they are ready for the NPFL, coach Ozegbagbei responded:“No, no, no, it is just two games.

To make the game more intense, the newly promoted NPFL side got an advantage in the first five minutes of the game when Al-Merrikh’s Amir Kamal fouled Nigeria’s Oyedokun Tosin in the penalty box.

From the first minute of the encounter, the players played like it was more than a pre-season tournament as both sides executed the match with intense pressure, and the constant protest against the referee’s decisions from the Sudanese bench added more fire to it.

Then we can really have a positive answer to that question.” With the 2-1 win over the Sudanese side, Ikorodu City is currently topping Group A with four points after a win and a draw, on the same points and goals difference as the Remo Stars B team.

Hence, tackles and knocks were flying ceaselessly in most minutes of the first half as Al–Merrikh’s bench continued to agitate against almost every decision until the referee had to send two of their coaches off the sideline in separate points of the first half.

The second half started with more intensity, hard tackles, bruises, knocks, and agitations as the match failed to produce another goal until in the 80th minute when Ikorodu scored a well-worked goal.

The intensity of the game was a result of the competition in Group A because, ahead of the game, the team on the losing side was likely to be out of the tournament.

Ikorodu City are expected to play their last group stage game against Shooting Stars, while Al–Merrikh are likely to play the Remo Stars B team with the hope of winning to remain in the competition.

Regardless of who the team is, we try to do our best to have a good performance, and today is just one of those days.” On what worked for Ikorodu against Al–Merrikh SC, he noted:“We knew that they are an experienced side..

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