The caretaker coach of Ikorodu City, Nurudeen Aweroro, has revealed that his team’s stunning win over coach Finidi George’s Rivers United has given his side an edge.
Nurudeen Aweroro and his boys hosted Rivers United at the Onikan stadium in Lagos for their NPFL matchday 10 on Sunday, November 3. Before the game, Rivers were sitting at the top of the league table, while Ikorodu City were a few points away from the relegation zone.
More so, Rivers United went into the game as the only side in the league who have not recorded a defeat in the NPFL this season. On the other hand, Ikorodu City had recorded five defeats before the game.
Despite the disparity in form, the hosts completely outplayed their visitors as they scored two goals in the second half to record a 2-0 win in front of jubilant home fans.
After the big win, coach Aweroro told Naija News that he expects his players to continue from the triumph as they shift their attention to the next game which is against Katsina United away on Sunday, November 10.
“We continue where we stop”, he said. “We’ve been performing well, the players are being so exceptional. Like I usually do, I always want my players to understand that you continue where you stop, so this match has given us an edge over other matches ahead of us, so definitely, we are preparing for the next match now.
“I want to just take my mind away from winning today; I want to start thinking immediately; that’s how I do my things. I continue to think of a match immediately after a match.”
In Ikorodu City’s first five games of the season, the newly promoted NPFL side struggled to win games even though they are known to playing possession-based football.
Interestingly, after the sack of Bright Ozegbagbei, who has just been appointed the manager of National League side Ijebu United, coach Nurudeen Aweroro has been able to inspire the team beyond playing attractive football to scoring goals and winning games.
After beating Rivers United 2-0 on Sunday, coach Aweroro said, “My team has been playing better. Even before I started the job or took up the team as the head coach, they have been doing well. So, it’s an edge for me also to work with a team that knows how to process the ball, that knows how to keep the ball.
“Technically and tactically, the boys are sound, so it’s an easy way for me. They are the right players and the right team.”
On the appointment of Ozegbagbei as the head coach of Ijebu United, Ikorodu City’s caretaker manager said, “I was very happy when I saw the news. It’s a big congratulations to Bright and me because we’ve been together, and we love ourselves. As he is now, he left these things for me, and he kept supporting me with whatever idea he had.”
Meanwhile, coach Nurudeen Aweroro has hailed Ikorodu City forward Rivio Ayemwenre, who came on as a second-half substitute in the NPFL game against Rivers United and scored the second goal in the team’s 2-0.
Note that after playing a goalless first half, Ikorodu City went into the second half looking more compact both in attack and defence. Their purposeful style of play paid off in the 48th minute when Ayomide Cole opened the scoring from close range.
Five minutes later, Rivio Ayemwenre scored the second goal after picking up a rebound in the 53rd minute. Afterwards, the visiting team tried to get a goal back, but the discipline of Ikorodu’s backline prevented that from happening as the game ended 2-0 in favour of the hosts.
This marked the second successive home game in which Ayemwenre came from the bench to score a goal for the Lagos-based club.
When coach Aweroro was asked about the place of Ayemwenre in his team, the manager said, “Rivio is one of the players that I so much respect. If you start him, he’s ready to deliver; if you bring him in, he’s ready to deliver.
“He’s the player that I love most in the team because he’s very dedicated, he’s very disciplined, he’s very focused so I believe today if I should start Rivio and I have a problem with Rivio, who will help him out. I needed to bring him in from the bench. That was why I brought Rivio.”
