MATCH REPORT: Over excitement After Captain Raheem Salaudeen’s Assist Costs Buruj FC in 1-3 Home Defeat
Buruj Football Club suffered a 1–3 defeat to Joy Cometh FC in their opening fixture of the 2025/26 Nationwide League One (NLO) season, but captain Raheem Moyinoluwa Salaudeen delivered a standout moment with a crucial assist.
The match, played on April 25 at the Legacy Pitch, Surulere, kicked off at 11:05 AM and began in a balanced fashion.
Both sides showed strong tactical discipline and technical quality, but neither team could break the deadlock before halftime, as the first half ended goalless.
Buruj FC made early tactical adjustments, introducing Tomoloju Odunayo for Inyang Edet and Ayinde Lukmon for Malobi Ebube to inject fresh energy into the squad.The second half resumed at 12:10 PM, with Buruj FC asserting control.
Their dominance paid off in the 57th minute when captain Raheem Moyinoluwa Salaudeen (No. 10) delivered a precise assist to Tomoloju Odunayo (No. 3), who calmly finished to give Buruj a deserved 1–0 lead.However, Joy Cometh FC responded strongly.
They equalized in the 75th minute before adding two quick goals in the 79th and 84th minutes, completing a comeback to secure a 3–1 victory.Speaking after the match, captain Raheem Moyinoluwa Salaudeen reflected on the team’s performance and areas for improvement:“What we need to improve on next game is to convert our chances. We had most of the big chances in today’s match but didn’t take them.
We also didn’t use time-wasting to our advantage when we were leading. The midfielders were tired, and we couldn’t match up with their fresh substitutes, which is why we conceded in the last 10 minutes.”Despite the defeat, Salaudeen’s leadership and creativity stood out, providing a key highlight for Buruj FC in an otherwise challenging opener.
The team will now look to regroup and bounce back stronger in their next fixture.
Starting Lineup
Akinola Taiwo (1), Malobi Ebube (6), Fatai Aliu (31), Azeez Taiwo (28), Ogwu Peace (5), Ajayi Oluwasegun (30), Abimbola Sola (14), Adeleke Fawas (8), Inyang Edet (19), Salaudeen Raheem (C) (10), Olatunji Taiwo (32)
Substitutes
Tomoloju Odunayo (3), Ayinde Lukmon (2), Anionovo Prosperity (23), Iyida Jacob (17), Olukosi Fawas (16), Daniel Gabriel (27), Onyebueke Ugochukwu (26), Salmon Waris (51), Todowede Tunmise (22)
