The first South West derby of the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League season lived up to expectations on Sunday, with Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) and Ikorodu City battling to a 1–1 stalemate at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.
The Oluyole Warriors set the tone early, striking in the 10th minute when Sodiq Ibraheem finished off a flowing move to put the hosts ahead. But the visitors, undaunted by the occasion, struck back at the stroke of halftime. Shola Adelani’s precise effort in the 45th minute silenced the home supporters and restored parity for the Oga Boys.
After the restart, the contest remained finely balanced. Shooting Stars controlled slightly more of the ball, recording 52% possession, yet Ikorodu City proved the more incisive in attack with nine attempts compared to 3SC’s eight. Neither side, however, could find the decisive breakthrough.
The result leaves 3SC with two points from their opening three matches, ahead of a difficult trip to face Rivers United in Port Harcourt next weekend. Ikorodu City, meanwhile, will return home to host Barau FC at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena as they continue their search for consistency.
Though the points were shared, the derby once again highlighted the fierce rivalry between both sides, promising more drama in future encounters on the NPFL stage.
