A packed Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan witnessed an intense local derby on Sunday as Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City cancelled each other out in a hard-fought 0-0 draw, with neither side able to capitalize on their opportunities in front of goal.
Sporting Lagos head coach Jeffery Buter acknowledged that sharpness in the final third remains an urgent priority for his team. Despite creating numerous clear-cut openings, the hosts once again struggled to convert, though Buter maintained his players had done enough to deserve all three points.
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“We have to keep working on our finishing. We put in a lot of drills on Monday and Tuesday because we recognize we aren’t converting at the rate we create, but it is a continuous process,” Buter stated. “Overall, my assessment is that we were the better team and should have won under fair conditions.”
Buter also revealed that his side deliberately adopted a direct approach to counter the visitors’ aggressive high press.
“We anticipated their high energy after watching their previous outing against Rangers. The game plan was to bypass their initial press and attack the space behind their backline. We went with more long balls than usual, but it was purely tactical to exploit those open areas,” he explained.
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Addressing questions regarding striker Aliyev’s recent dry spell, the manager stood firmly behind his forward and dismissed claims that the team is overly reliant on him.
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“He isn’t our only option; we have four center-forwards available,” Buter noted. “People often judge him solely on missed opportunities rather than his overall profile and what he brings to the system. He offers us a great deal dynamically, and we are completely satisfied with his work rate. We will continue to support him in finding his scoring touch.”
Sporting Lagos attacker Haruna Hadi shared his manager’s frustration regarding missed chances, while also voicing disappointment over the standard of officiating during the encounter.
“The referees are not performing at their best right now. A lot of pivotal decisions went against us, and it is genuinely hurting our progress,” Hadi remarked. “Even so, we are pushing hard to start converting our chances. Relegation is not a concern for us this season. Once the first half of the campaign concludes, our ambition is to target the continental qualification spots.”
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On the opposite bench, Ikorodu City head coach Bright Ozebagbe reflected on what might have been, believing his squad let an opportunity slip following a structured opening period.
“We could have wrapped up the contest in the first half with the discipline and resilience the boys displayed,” Ozebagbe said. “However, we had moments where we failed to respond when the momentum shifted in their direction. That is something we must address before our next fixture.”
Ozebagbe also highlighted the positive contributions of his bench, adding: “Our squad depth showed today. Every player called upon delivered maximum effort, which is exactly what we need going forward.”
The share of the spoils keeps both Lagos clubs tightly packed in the mid-table standings, with Ikorodu City sitting in seventh place on 9 points, just one point and two spots ahead of ninth-placed Sporting Lagos.
