Coach Bright Ozebagbe and his quest for a breakthrough in the NPFL continues as his Ikorodu City side suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to reigning champions Enugu Rangers at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.
The newly promoted side, still seeking their first win under coach Bright Ozebagbe, had hoped to bounce back from a goalless draw against Kwara United in their previous outing, Footballrover reports.
But two critical moments turned the game in favor of their more experienced opponents.
The decisive moment came in the 25th minute when Rangers’ captain, Chinemerem Ugwueze, headed in the only goal of the match.
Ugwueze’s goal came off a well-delivered corner kick by Kazeem Ogunleye, catching Ikorodu City’s defence off-guard.
It was a blow that highlighted one of the two costly lapses in concentration that would ultimately define the match for Ikorodu City.
0️⃣ – Ikorodu City are now the only team yet to score in the 2024/25 NPFL. Tenderfoot. #IKDRAN #NPFL25 pic.twitter.com/svGCLlfgiA
— Opta Nigeria (@OptaNGR) September 25, 2024
Reflecting on the defeat, Coach Ozebagbe pointed to these moments as crucial errors that cost his side the game.
“We work in these situations (set-piece in training), and we got punished by them, so that switch and loss of concentration at that moment were key, and they took advantage,” he lamented.
Ozebagbe also addressed his team’s missed opportunities in the attacking third.
“We had moments in the box, but we needed to be more decisive in our execution, and we didn’t take it. This is NPFL; you get those chances, those moments; you have to take it,” the coach added.
While Ikorodu City showed flashes of promise, their inexperience at this level was in full display.
For Coach Ozebagbe, the defeat marked another frustrating chapter in his quest for first NPFL win.
However, the coach remains optimistic, turning his focus to their upcoming home fixture against Nasarawa United, where he hopes his side can finally secure that much-needed victory.
Tough defeat at home. We keep the work going#NPFL25 MD2#OgaBoys \ #WeAreIkoroduCityFC pic.twitter.com/BZfHXqQsvO
— IkoroduCityFC (@IkoroduCityFC) September 25, 2024
With a solid defensive showing marred by a lapse in concentration and missed chances, Ikorodu City will need to sharpen their focus and capitalise on their opportunities as they continue their NPFL journey.
As Ozebagbe rightly put it,
“The league is a marathon; we’ll go back and prepare for the next game; hopefully it turns out well for us.”
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