Shooting Stars head coach Nurudeen Aweroro admitted his disappointment after his team fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Ikorodu City in a fiercely contested South West derby played in Lagos on matchday 23 of the Nigeria Premier Football League.
The Ibadan side were undone by an early strike from Joseph Arumala, who found the net inside two minutes after reacting quickest to a rebound and firing the ball into the roof of the net following a saved effort from Tosin. The early goal forced Shooting Stars to chase the game, but despite sustained pressure and long spells in the attacking half, they were unable to find a way past Ikorodu City’s disciplined defence.
Speaking after the match, Nurudeen Aweroro did not hide his frustration with the performance, insisting his team failed to play to the level expected of them. “Of course, I’m not happy with the result. We didn’t play to our standard. We dropped points at the end because of some mistakes, and we paid for it. But I think we are looking forward to making up for the errors we made earlier.”
The coach, who was returning to face his former side, dismissed suggestions of pressure and remained confident in his players despite the setback. “I was not under any pressure. I was very confident going into that game. We knew our duty was to get the points and move away from the bottom of the table. Unfortunately, we failed to achieve that today.”
Nurudeen Aweroro also expressed satisfaction with the quality within his squad, noting that time is needed for the players to fully adapt to his ideas. “Yes, definitely, I’m satisfied with the quality of the players we have in the team. I think the players just need a few weeks to fully understand our philosophy. I’m confident that everyone will enjoy the football when we return to the second division.”
Despite the defeat, the Shooting Stars boss remains optimistic about the remainder of the campaign, with his side still well placed in the standings. “Of course, we are pushing hard, we are working hard, and we want to keep improving and push higher up the table.”
The loss leaves Shooting Stars sixth on the NPFL table with 35 points, while Ikorodu City’s hard fought victory lifted them to third place as they continue their impressive season.
