Sporting Lagos FC Junior Lokosa denies rift against former club, Remo Stars FC

Posted : 12 March 2024

Sporting Lagos FC's striker, Junior Lokosa, has denied harboring any ill feelings against his former club, Remo Stars FC.

Lokosa made the clarification in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Match Day 24 between the 'Noisy Lagosians' and the Sky Blue Stars of Ikenne.

The Southwest derby, played at the iconic Mobolaji Johnson Arena (Onikan), saw the Tech Boys inflict the heaviest defeat so far on the Daniel Ogunbodede-tutored side this season.

Lokosa scored Sporting Lagos FC's first goal in the 4th minute through a penalty, coolly slotted after his teammate, Godwin Odibo, was brought down by Remo Stars' defenders in the 18-yard box.

They scored the second goal in the 27th minute through their winger, Paschal Durugbor.

However, Remo Stars got their lone goal in the 37th minute when Sporting Lagos FC defenders diverted the ball into their net while attempting to clear a cross from Remo Stars' Sodiq Ismail.

The noisy Lagosians' Phillip Kehinde restored their two-goal lead with an acrobatic volley against his former team to make the scoreline 3-1 in the 48th minute.

The Lagosians put the icing on the cake in another goal-mouth scramble, turned in by Philip Odubia's overhead kick in the 60th minute.

Lokosa, who has scored two goals so far against his former club, was seen high pressing during the match, and he said he had no bad blood against his club, Remo Stars, but rather has some respect for the team.

"I have nothing against my former team, Remo Stars FC. I have left the club, but I still respect them because I have my former teammates there.

"The teammates I left at Remo Stars are friends like brothers to me, and we still relate well.

"I am happy for the win because we needed this point. Yes, I scored against Remo Stars in the Super 8 pre-season and now, but I just have to do my job.

"When playing against a former team, it is like a spotlight for people to see the reason you left the club in the first instance," he said.

Lokosa also noted that the expectations were always high for a player against his former club, a situation he had to take lightly.

"When playing against a former team, expectations are always high, but for me, I don't care about the scoreline now, but the three points secured against Remo Stars.

"In this second phase of the 2023/2024 NPFL, we have been working on our pressing, and we have to talk to ourselves.

"The President of the club has been very supportive of our aspiration, and we are doing everything we can to make him happy.

"The next thing we need to focus on is how we can fix winning our away games because we can do better," he said.

Sporting Lagos FC's next match will be against Niger Tornadoes in Kaduna.

Sporting Lagos FC now occupies the 12th position on the 2023/2024 NPFL table with 31 points from 24 matches, including eight wins, seven draws, and nine losses.

Sporting Lagos FC Junior Lokosa denies rift against former club, Remo Stars FC

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics