IKORODU City FC Coach Takes Club To The Next Level

• The Story Of NURUDEEN AWERORO

On October 21, 2024, newly promoted side Ikorodu City Fc announced that Nurudeen Aweroro has been named as their interim coach, days after former head coach, Bright Ozebagbe who had masterminded their promotion from the Nigerian second tier, resigned from his position, citing that lack of appreciation for his work and concerns over his mental well-being led to his decision.

“I don’t feel happy doing my job, not being appreciated, and I just want to get my mental state away from the club and explore other possibilities,” he said.

The team, popularly called the “Oga Boys” headed Aweroro, who has been a part of the technical crew as the assistant coach, is now the new talk in town, after taking them from the bottom of the table after five games to third on the log.

Before his appointment, many football enthusiasts never gave them a chance, some were placing them side by side with how Sporting Lagos did in their maiden season, the 2023/2024 season, in which they got relegated.

“This team can’t survive in the Nigeria Professional Football League NPFL.” “Ikorodu to be relegated, sure banker.” “I pray you guys don’t go on relegation before the end of the first half of the season”. Laments many X users after five matches without a win, four losses, and a draw.

As expected, they were bottom of the table in that period with just one goal scored against the seven they conceded. It took them four games before Chilaka ThankGod scored their first-ever NPFL goal in a 2-1 defeat against Nasarawa United at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on September 28, 2024.

It was this turbulent run that brought Aweroro and their fortunes began to change.

Despite the poor start to life, some of their fans kept faith in them, “We feel discouraged. It’s not easy and we are playing against experienced sides. We know we will bounce back. We played well but we haven’t been able to convert our chances. By the time we begin to do so, I believe we will escape relegation,” one of the fans said after the 2-1 home defeat against Nasarawa United.

True to the faith of fans, in two months, the Oga Boys have moved from the bottom of the table to third and are being discussed not just for continental representation, but for being considered title contenders. In an interview with Ikorodu City Chairman, Sanmi Doherty, credited his team’s turnaround in the NPFL to fostering confidence and maintaining continuity. Asked if relegation talks worried his team after a poor start, Doherty told SportsBoom.com: “No, we weren’t scared. We just wanted to play our football.

“We have a plan, a methodology, and a philosophy that we truly believe in. Of course, results matter, but the most important thing for us is whether we’re doing the right thing. If we are, we’ll continue with it. It’s just a matter of time the results will come,” he said.

According to the club boss, continuity was the key to keeping faith with Aweroro despite receiving several applications from “big names.” It seems that the decision is paying off.

He added: “He’s not new to the team; coach Aweroro was previously the assistant coach. Personally, and as a management team, we strongly believe in continuity. We have confidence in what we’re building, our philosophy, and the process we’re committed to.

“We’re not rushing to achieve anything because this is a long-term project. And as with any project, it takes time to see the results. When the former coach decided to leave, we simply carried on with what we already had in place. I did receive many CVs and recommendations for big names, but what we’re doing now is a continuation of what we’ve already established,” Doherty concluded.

With that self belief , it all started with a spirited second-half display against Bendel Insurance on October 12, when summer signing Rivio Ayemwenre, Kelechi Onwe, and Toyeeb Ajeyigbe were all on target for a resounding 3-0 win that sent the Mobolaji Johnson Arena into romp.

Since then, they have played 10 matches, winning seven, including an away win against Katsina United, drawing two, and losing just one to nine-time champions Enyimba.

This impressive run hasn’t just put them third on the table, they are also the current highest-scoring side in the league with 22 goals, six more than second-placed Remo Stars who are their closest challenger in that regard.

Their 4-1 win over Akwa United in Game Week 15 is the second time they have scored four goals in a match this season.

Even in the days of their struggles, Ikorodu City has looked compact as a team but one of them stands above the rest in terms of goal contribution. That is left-back Harrison Uzondu, who has five assists so far this season, the most by any player in the current season.

Now the results are being welcomed, the fans have started dreaming ahead of their crucial fixtures in December while NPFL enthusiasts mostly on X are now tipping them to contend for the title in their maiden season. “You guys are on a roll. You’ve sent a very strong statement at this point. Keep up the momentum.” An X user, Folarin posted. “We are presently the best club in the NPFL by form,” Alooma Kasumu added.

Another X user, Monday also said, “Reality check Ikorodu can still compete for the title.”

The club’s hierarchy has also felt the hype around them, and interim coach Aweroro insists their modest ambition is to beat the drop. “Yes, we are third, that will give us more confidence going forward but we are not under any pressure,” he told PUNCH Sports Extra.

“We are glad that people are happy with us. The plan is to keep our fans happy and keep on being focused on our goal which is to avoid relegation. We are not trying to punch above our weight, we know the players we have and we want to achieve that game by game,” Aweroro said.

Samuel Bamisebi, the club’s head of media and communication also reflects on the relationship between their impressive run and the behaviour of fans in terms of club followership, engagement and match attendance.

“We started the season with decent attendance for our home games but after the losses, it was really difficult. A lot of fans were already withdrawing their attention,” Bamisebi told PUNCH Sports Extra.

“When we got our first win against Bendel Insurance, people were like finally and then we got another win against Lobi Stars, the attention began to shift towards us.

“In the last few weeks, the results have been good home and away and the numbers have increased. Ticket sales have gone up and more people are demanding club merchandise. The good run encourages people to come out more and on social media, we see people who just want to come watch us,” he said.

Ikorodu will be looking to continue their fairytale run under the tutelage of ‘tactician’ Aweroro when they face Bayelsa United on Sunday, the Yenagoa side will be eager to revive their faltering campaign, sitting in 13th  with just 18 points after 15 matches, the 2009 league champions have won just one of their last seven matches, a run of form that has put Ladan Bosso’s job in jeopardy.

By Benprince Ezeh

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