Waliu Ojetoye, the captain of Ikorodu City Football Club, has dismissed the tag of whipping boys of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) being placed on his team.
Ojetoye expressed his feelings while discussing their 2024/2025 NPFL Match Day 7 fixture against Heartland FC of Owerri with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the NPFL debutant side whipped Bendel Insurance FC 3-0 on Saturday on Match Day 6, and are facing Heartland in Owerri on Wednesday at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.
Prior to Saturday’s win, Ikorodu City FC had not recorded any win, having lost two home matches in quick successions —- against Rangers International (0-1) and Nasarawa United (1-2).
The “Oga Boys” had started NPFL life with a 0-3 loss to hosts Kano Pillars, before a 0-0 stalemate with Kwara United FC in Ilorin and another loss on Match Day 5 to Plateau United in Jos.
Not minding the poor results which ultimately consumed their coach, Bright Ozebagbe, Ojetoye said he was in disagreement with the “whipping boys” tag, saying they were up to the task.
“We are not the whipping boys at all. We will henceforth have to prove ourselves because we, as a team, have quality players.
“Our previous results were not good because we were just unlucky. There is no match that we have lost scandalously again after the Kano Pillars match.
“Going forward, the win against Bendel Insurance should be a morale-booster, that ‘yes, we can do it.’
“So, we need the fans to get behind us because better days are ahead of us,” he said.
NAN reports that Ikorodu City FC still occupy the last position on the 20-club NPFL log with four points from six matches after one win, one draw one and four losses.(NAN)
