Goals in the second half of the rescheduled week two of the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, by Chibundun Amah proved the dominance of Sunshine Stars over their Makurdi visitors, Lobi Stars during the league encounter of the two teams at the Akure township stadium.
Amah, who was introduced during the second half of the game, replaced Kolade Adeniji before he broke into the resilient defence of the visiting team.
At the 79th, 83rd and 88th minutes of the game, it was harvest of goals for the striker as he consistently dazzled Lobi Stars players within their space, thereby throwing the Akure fans into frenzy.
Speaking on the resounding victory recorded as well as the performance of his boys, the Technical Adviser of Sunshine Stars, Kabir Dogo, who lauded the fighting spirit of the Owena Whales, also commended the fans for the support shown.
“First, we have to thank God, the state government and the good people of the state for their immense support.
“Like I said before now, if we had this kind of support in our previous home matches, I believe the team is improving game by game, we need the home fans support because this support is the only thing that can give us the needed goals.
“Today, despite the fact that the goal didn’t come on time, people were still supporting the team and at the end the goals came.
“Either with injury or no injury, we have our game plan; everybody on the bench is part of the team.
“It’s a turn around for our team,” Dogo stated.
However, the match was almost disrupted due to the unprofessional conduct of the Head Coach of Sunshine Stars, Kayode Julius, following a physical attack on the first team goalkeeper of Lobi Stars, which delayed the match for 15 minutes before kickoff.
The Lobi Stars coach, Solomon Ogbeide, who hinged his team’s defeat on the brawl, maintained that the attack was premeditated by the home team.
His words, “We didn’t suffer any loss, it was a premeditated thing, my goal keeper was beaten up by one of the Sunshine Stars crew, I know the result will be like this.
“Coach Kayode beat my goal keeper up, his face was lacerated, his tooth was broken.
“We are forced to play otherwise, we played under protest, we were not ready to play.
“When I was told that we should play, I said no problem we should go ahead.
“If the management had said we shouldn’t play, I won’t play. I know the result was going to be like this.
“They played on Monday in Makurdi, nothing happened to them, they came in they played, they lost, so it was a premeditated, I’m not surprised.
“Because if my actual goalkeeper had played, there was no way we would have lost the game,” Ogbeide said.
The coach has subsequently been suspended indefinitely by the management of Sunshine Stars for the unprofessional conduct.
Meanwhile, Sunshine stars will on Sunday play host to Enugu Rangers in another NPFL encounter on Sunday in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
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