Coach Ozebagbe Aims for a 'Green Zone' in Ikorodu City before the 2025/26 NPFL Season Kickoff
Ikorodu City FC Aims for Stability in the 2025-2026 NPFL Season
Coach Bright Ozebagbe has returned to Ikorodu City FC with a clear focus: maintaining the club's status in the "green zone" of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). This strategic objective signifies Ozebagbe's commitment to ensuring the club stays safely above the relegation zone, aiming for consistent stability and competitive performance in Nigeria's top football league.
Ozebagbe's familiarity with the club, having previously guided Ikorodu City into the NPFL and winning the Lagos FA Cup, will be instrumental in sustaining and building on prior successes. His appointment, along with Ali Kandil as head coach, forms a stable technical team aimed at improving performance and consolidating the team's position in the NPFL in the 2025-26 season.
Last season, Ikorodu City ended the campaign as a title contender, finishing in a quiet success that avoided relegation by a safe margin. The toughest loss for the team was a 4-1 away defeat to Remo Stars. However, the biggest win for Ikorodu City was a 6-0 home victory against Katsina United.
Ozebagbe's goal is not personal but rather focused on the success of the team and the project as a whole. Unlike his predecessor, Nurudeen Aweroro, who aimed for the NPFL title, Ozebagbe's ambitions are centred on ensuring the club's long-term survival and growth.
The "green zone" in NPFL terms typically refers to a position in the league table where the club is safely out of danger of relegation, thus enabling focus on long-term development rather than the immediate pressure of survival. Maintaining Ikorodu City FC in the green zone is crucial for the club’s strategic plan to stay competitive, grow sustainably, and avoid the disruptions of dropping out of the top flight.
As Ozebagbe returns to Ikorodu City amid a restructured coaching setup, fans and supporters can look forward to a season built on staying power, not on noise. The 2025-2026 NPFL season promises to be an exciting one for Ikorodu City FC, as they strive to maintain their status in the league and contend for the title.
Ikorodu City FC aims to maintain its status in the premier league of Nigeria, the NPFL, by staying in the 'green zone' during the 2025-2026 season. Coach Bright Ozebagbe's return to the club, having previously led them to the NPFL and the Lagos FA Cup, will be pivotal in ensuring stability and improving performance. Last season, the club demonstrated resilience, securing a quiet success by avoiding relegation and achieving a notable 6-0 home victory against Katsina United. The focus for Ozebagbe is not personal glory but the long-term success and sustainability of Ikorodu City FC in the Nigerian football landscape, nicknamed 'Naija'.
