Zudachi Construction’s standout performer, Chimieze Ogere, popularly known as Aguiyi-Ironsi, has revealed how missing out on the Man of the Match award in his previous appearance motivated him to deliver an outstanding performance in his team’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Daily Manna Bakery.
The encounter, played during Matchweek 3 of the ongoing Island All-Stars Sports Club PatrickLingo Super League Football Tournament at Lagos Business School, saw Ogere emerge as one of the game’s most influential players despite Zudachi Construction being reduced to ten men.
The midfielder scored the equaliser in the 41st minute before providing the assist for his team’s controversial second goal in the 57th minute, helping Zudachi Construction overturn an earlier deficit.
Although Daily Manna Bakery eventually secured a share of the points, Ogere’s contribution earned him the prestigious Man of the Match award.
‘Missing Out on the Previous Award Motivated Me’
Speaking exclusively to Sports247 after the encounter, Ogere expressed satisfaction with his performance and explained the personal motivation behind his impressive display.
“I am happy with my performance today. I was determined to work harder because I wanted to win the Man of the Match award in our previous game but unfortunately missed out,” he revealed.
“That motivated me to give my best in today’s match. Overall, I think I performed well.”
For Ogere, the recognition represented a reward for his determination to improve and make a greater impact on his team’s performances. His equalising goal in the 41st minute proved particularly important, giving Zudachi Construction renewed confidence despite their numerical disadvantage.
The 57th-minute assist further demonstrated his influence as Zudachi Construction briefly took control of the contest.
‘We Felt the Officials and Some Fans Were Against Us’
Beyond his individual performance, Ogere also expressed frustration with aspects of the encounter, suggesting that his team faced additional pressure from the match atmosphere.
“However, I felt the officials and some of the fans were against us because we won our first match and they wanted us to lose this one,” he claimed.
“Despite that, we fought hard and managed to secure a draw.”
His comments reflected his personal perception of the officiating and crowd reaction during the fiercely contested fixture.
Despite those concerns, Zudachi Construction demonstrated resilience to remain competitive with ten players and preserve their unbeaten record.
The 2-2 draw ensured that Zudachi Construction maintained their unbeaten start to the competition, collecting four points from their opening two matches.
Their record places them level on points with Jendol Superstores, adding further excitement to the developing standings.
For Ogere, however, remaining unbeaten is not enough, as he believes the team must continue working towards securing maximum points.
‘We Will Do Everything to Make Our Fans Proud’
Looking ahead to Zudachi Construction’s next fixture, the Man of the Match winner promised that the players would approach the encounter with renewed determination.
“We are going to work hard and give our best to win our next match,” Aguiyi told Sports247.
“I want to assure our fans that we will do everything possible to secure victory and make them proud.”
The statement underlined the team’s ambition to build on their encouraging start and remain competitive as the tournament progresses.
Aguiyi performance against Daily Manna Bakery highlighted his ability to influence important moments, particularly when his team faced adversity.
With a goal, an assist and the Man of the Match award, the Zudachi Construction star delivered a performance that strengthened his growing reputation in the competition.
His determination to improve after missing out on individual recognition in the previous match also demonstrated the competitive mentality driving his performances.
For Chimieze, the nickname Aguiyi-Ironsi may already be familiar within the Island All-Stars football community, but his latest display ensured that his performance, rather than just his nickname, became one of the major talking points of Matchweek 3.
