Nigerian Football

Shooting Stars Seek Redemption in Makurdi

Published

7 years ago

May 27, 2017

BY JUBRIL AROWOLO.

The Oluyole Warriors suffered a huge defeat at home last Sunday as FC IfeanyiUbah clinched three points at Adamasingba, but their opponents this weekend, Lobi Stars, continued their march up the Nigeria Professional Football League table by recording an away 1-0 win over Sunshine Stars in Akure.
The 0-3 home loss to FC IfeanyiUbah in the Week 20 fixture was still an unimaginable dream for an average Shooting Stars’ supporter.
But in the actual sense, it is the bitter reality and also very obvious as the team languishes in the 19th position on the log and swimming in the relegation waters.
Perhaps, the heat in the relegation zone is becoming quite uncomfortable. This has prompted the teams’ top hierarchy to give the coaches a wakeup call to reassess their approach and strategy and find a way out of danger.
This sets the tone for the Match Day 21 fixture as Shooting Stars Sports Club heads to the 15,000-seater Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi to face Lobi Stars on Sunday afternoon.
This fixture is the one the team must take with all seriousness knowing that a further decline might plummet their position and chances of surviving the drop thus, in getting a good result; they must be in their best elements.
Shooting Stars’ last visit to Aper Aku Stadium was a 1-2 loss to Lobi Stars but an emphatic 2-0 win in Ibadan on the opening day of the season in January might serve as a motivation for the lads in grinding out a good result on the road. Also, our good precedence at away matches will also come into play and be a great factor on the outcome of the match.
The lads are already in Makurdi with a squad which consists of some of the mid-season signings and they are optimistic about the upcoming fixture. 3sc.com.ng touched base with the experienced Ajani Ibrahim before heading off and he told us that the “team has moved past last week’s result and working really hard to change its fortune’’.
He continued, “3SC is not supposed to be in this kind of situation, we have resolved that all hands must be on deck and we can only prove that on the pitch, that starts on Sunday, we hope for a good result’’.
Fatai Amoo was positive in his pre match interview and offered that he is upbeat and still believe the team will survive the drop as the Technical Crew has figured out a few lapses and corrected them ahead of the fixture.
Lobi Stars’ Kingsley Eduwo will hope to continue where he stopped last week as his 15th minute goal was all Lobi needed to sink Sunshine Stars in front of their fans in Akure.
All said and done, we hope to start the drive of surviving relegation and also putting the team in a rightful position with the Lobi match. Hopefully the team will be able to grind out a good result on the road.

Nigerian Football

Westerhof recommends Siasia for Super Eagles’ job

Published

3 days ago

September 11, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Clemens Westerhof and Samson Siasia in London

BY KUNLE SOLAJA, who was in Arnhem, Netherlands.

Former Nigeria manager, Clemens Westerhof has recommended one of his former players, Samson Siasia as the substantial coach for the Super Eagles.

Siasia was one of his players of the famed golden generation of the Super Eagles.

“I called him last month to greet him for his birthday and also to celebrate with him for the end of his five-year ban”, Westerhof told Sports Village Square at his house in Arnhem in the Netherlands.

According to him, Siasia is just like Keshi and that he has the capacity to turn the Super Eagles around for the better. Westerhof, the author of the famed ‘Golden Generation’ of the Super Eagles made his suggestion shortly after Germany’s Bruce Labbadia turned down the Nigerian job offer.

Westerhof remarked that he was surprised about the choice of Labbadia in the first instance and that the now Mali coach, Tom Saintfiet who is his friend could have been a better choice.

Saintfiet, a Belgian, was speculated among the coaches initially short-listed for the Super Eagles’ job. But Westerhof, before the naming of Austin Eguavoen, another member of his famous 1994 squad, strongly back Siasia for the job.

He remarked that he was in touch with the former striker as well as Austin Okocha whom he met with in London recently.

To Westerhof, Siasia has the same quality like Stephen Keshi to handle the Super Eagles. “He has done it before and I think he can still do it.”

Nigerian Football

Plateau United’s Doyeni is first scorer of Season 2024/25

Published

6 days ago

September 8, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Olawale Doyeni braces up for the NPFL's first goal of the season via penalty kick

The balls hit the nets 17 times this Sunday as the Nigeria Premier League Season 2024/25 burst into life this Sunday.

The first of the goals was from Plateau United’s Olawale Doyeni who converted a 24th minute penalty kick against Katsina United in an eventual 1-0 home win.

Another star-man of the the day is Enyimba’s Clinton Jephta who has become the season’s first hat-trickster. His three goals in the 65^th , 70^th and 73^rd minutes sank heartland 3-1 in their home match.

Nigerian Football

Three away wins mark the opening phase of Nigeria’s Season 2024/25

Published

6 days ago

September 8, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The Nigerian Premier Football League burst into life this Sunday with eight matches on the card and contrasting results. Three of the eight matches resulted in away wins signalling level playing field of the league.

It is a sharp departure from the past seasons when it is almost predictable that home teams would win. Remo Stars, Enyimba and Niger Tornadoes have away wins and with scoring multiple goals.

Remo Stars won against Abia Warriors by 2-0. Enyimba came from a goal down to win 3-1 against Heartland while Niger Tornadoes beat Kwara United 2-1 away from home.