Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne was treated to a nice game of football as the high-flying Ikorodu FC traded the city lights of Lagos for Shooting Stars after holding the Valuejet Cup defending champions to a thrilling draw on Sunday.
The Valuejet Cup reigning champions, Shooting Stars, were held to a 1-1 draw by the NPFL newcomers, Footballrover reports.
The stage was set for a clash in the Southwest Derby as both teams entered the match with contrasting fortunes.
Oga Boys were brimming with confidence after a hard-fought draw against Remo Stars team B and a convincing victory over Sudanese giants Al Merrikh.
While Shooting Stars, on the other end, were looking to bounce back from two narrow defeats in their previous outings.
From the first whistle, it was clear that both teams were eager to make their mark.
FULL TIME:
Ikorodu City 1-1 Shooting Stars
(Timothy Zechariah ⚽️ – Anthony Okachi⚽️) #ValueJetCup24 pic.twitter.com/QuhZOY67Cw— ValueJet Cup (@ValueJetCup) July 28, 2024
Ikorodu City’s Sholaja Ahmed had an early opportunity to break the deadlock, but his effort was expertly thwarted by the ever-alert Shooting Stars goalkeeper, Chinedu Anozie.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 18th minute when Anthony Okachi, with a poacher’s instinct, tapped in from close range after a clever layoff from Usman Olasunkanmi.
The Shooting Stars faithful erupted in jubilation as their team took the lead.
However, the Ikorodu Boys refused to be cowed.
They fought back relentlessly and were rewarded in the 40th minute when Timothy Zechariah found the back of the net to level the scores.
The underdogs roared back into contention.
The second half was a closed one, with both teams creating half-chances but failing to capitalise.
The game ended in a thrilling 1-1 draw, leaving the Ikorodu FC with five points and Shooting Stars rueing missed opportunities as they returned home with just a solitary point.
In the other group match, Al Merrikh secured their place at the top of the table with a 2-1 victory over Remo Stars B.
FULL TIME:
Al Merrikh 2-1 Remo Stars.
Ikorodu City 1-1 Shooting Stars. #ValueJetCup24 pic.twitter.com/KQIbZdT80N
— ValueJet Cup (@ValueJetCup) July 28, 2024
The Sky Blue Stars finished third with four points, their tournament hopes dashed.
Ikorodu Boys have obviously announced their arrival ahead of NPFL kickoff and will be a force to be reckoned with in the league.
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