Ikorodu City CEO Sanmi Doherty fires back at Remo Stars’ Kunle Soname, refuses to be intimidated after historic win
In the wake of Ikorodu City’s hard-fought 1–0 victory over Remo Stars in the final match of the 2025 football calendar in Lagos, a high-stakes digital showdown has erupted between two of Nigeria’s prominent football figures. Ikorodu City CEO, Sanmi Doherty, has drawn a clear line in the sand, refusing to be intimidated by what he described as “unwarranted rants” and “bullying tactics” from Remo Stars President, Hon. Kunle Soname.
The tension, which began on the pitch, later spilled into the NPFL Club Owners’ Forum after Soname took to social media and league channels to protest the officiating and an alleged assault on his Team Manager (TM). However, Doherty responded with a detailed account that painted a different picture—one of a “big team” official allegedly failing to adhere to the very rules that govern the game.
In a series of pointed exchanges, Doherty dismantled Soname’s narrative surrounding the incident involving the Remo Stars Team Manager. While Soname claimed that a supporter struck the official with a vuvuzela, Doherty offered a technical breakdown of the official’s own misconduct.
According to Doherty, the Remo Stars TM was issued a red card in the 60th minute of the match. Under NPFL regulations, a dismissed official is required to immediately vacate the technical area and the vicinity of the dressing rooms.
Instead of complying, the official allegedly remained behind the reserve bench and later moved into the VVIP area, where he continued passing instructions and obstructed spectators who had paid ₦10,000 to watch the match.
Doherty noted that the confrontation with fans occurred only because the official refused to relocate, despite repeated interventions by security personnel. “He is not supposed to be in that place according to the rules… He started acting like a god,” Doherty stated.
The Ikorodu City CEO also expressed deep concern over the “bad impression” created by the conduct of Remo Stars’ officials, particularly given the presence of international observers at the Lagos venue.
“People came from abroad to see what we are doing and how we are running the league, and yet we cannot even adhere to the rules. It was actually a disgrace for us,” Doherty lamented.
He further criticised the Remo Stars President for allegedly attempting to use his influence to direct the NPFL to sanction Ikorodu City and the match officials following the denial of a penalty.
Refusing to be silenced by Soname’s stature, Doherty made it clear that Ikorodu City would not serve as a scapegoat for Remo Stars’ narrow defeat. He revealed that Ikorodu City also suffered from questionable officiating decisions, citing video evidence of a denied penalty in his team’s favour, but chose to maintain restraint in order to protect the league’s image.
“No one is an island, and no one is helping anyone to pay players’ salaries,” Doherty fired back. “The earlier we start respecting one another, the better for our ecosystem. If every club owner starts analysing rubbish about the league and its institutions, do you think we are going to have a league? No reasonable investor will invest.”
Doherty concluded by calling for a change in attitude among the league’s so-called “big” stakeholders, insisting that for the NPFL to grow, transparency and strict adherence to the rules must apply equally to all clubs, regardless of status.
