Last Sunday, Remo Stars sealed their first ever Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title following a hard-fought home victory over Niger Tornadoes of Minna at their Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne. It has taken The Sky Blues Stars a long and tortuous route to arrive at the zenith of Nigerian football, reports TUNDE LIADI…
For Remo Stars, it’s finally a dream comes true as they etched their names in Nigerian football folklore by capturing the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title last weekend with three games to spare after their 1-0 home win over Niger Tornadoes in Ikenne.
It was the club’s first league triumph since its formation in 2010. The self-acclaimed Sky Blue Stars have gone so close in the last three years before heavens smiled on them this term. They had placed third once (2022) and finished second in twice succession in 2023 and 2024.
Victory by Remo Stars on Sunday , April 27th, ended the 25 years’ long wait for a team from the South-West region of the country to lift the domestic league title hitherto dominated by South East and Northern clubs since the triumph of Lagos-based Julius Berger in 2000.
But it was not as easy as it seems for the Ikenne-based Remo Stars since their formative years. Initially, Remo Stars’ founder , Kunle Soname, was seemingly contented with using players scouted from their academy-Beyond Limits-to prosecute games in the topflight and this witnessed two quick early returns to the lower league from the topflight.
In 2010, continuous hard work by the club saw them getting promotion to the second tier of Nigerian Football, Nigeria National League (NNL). Further development saw the club’s management re-brand its organization.
The rebranding included a change of name when FC Dender was relocated to its current base in Ikenne and changed its name to Remo Stars Football Club. They played in the top division of Nigerian football, the Nigerian Premier League after promotion in 2016.
In 2018, Remo Stars were relegated from the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) to Nigeria National League. In September 2021, Remo Stars secured promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) after finishing second in Nigeria National League (NNL) playoff Group A.
Visionary leadership of Soname:
At the heart of Remo Stars’ success is the visionary leadership of the club’s proprietor, Kunle Soname. The commitment of the forward-looking billionaire to running the club at global standards has laid a solid foundation for consistent growth. His emphasis on professionalism across all areas from administration to team ‘s welfare has transformed Remo Stars into a model club in Nigerian football.
The efficient management structure has created an environment where players and coaches thrive, with a clear long-term vision guiding daily operations.
Another cornerstone of Remo Stars’ success is their investment in top-class training facilities and a continuously improving technical crew. Led by Daniel Ogunmodede, the coaching staff regularly attends refresher and reference courses quarterly, ensuring they are up-to-date with modern football practices. Their proficiency in match reading, data analysis, and tactical player management gives the team a technical advantage, allowing them to adapt dynamically during matches and maintain consistency across the season.
One innovative approach that set Remo Stars apart this season was the strategic use of flights to handle long-distance travels. In a league where road journeys of 8-17 hours are common, the decision to fly significantly reduced travel fatigue for players. This logistical advantage meant that the team arrived for away games physically fresh and mentally sharp, resulting in improved performances on the road a factor that historically separates champions from contenders.
Efficient recruitment policy and players’ management
Remo Stars’ players’ recruitment strategy also played a vital role. The seamless transition of players from their youth setups into the senior team ensured that the squad never lacked energy, pace, or tactical awareness, especially in tight and demanding matches.
By promoting talented young players at the right time, the club maintained a healthy squad balance, combining youthful dynamism with experienced leadership. This steady pipeline of talent gave the team an edge in critical game moments throughout the season.
Finally, the technical department’s emphasis on data-driven analysis cannot be overlooked. Detailed breakdowns of opposition tendencies, player fitness levels, and tactical patterns enabled Remo Stars to approach every game with well-informed strategies
This meticulous attention to detail allowed the team to exploit opponents’ weaknesses while reinforcing their own strengths, resulting in a more intelligent and effective playing style over the course of the season.
Applause for Sky Blues Stars
Reacting to Remo Stars league victory, Heartland FC’s Technical Manager, Emmanuel Amuneke affirmed that the Sky Blue Stars got a good template and work by it and that due to their deliberate and concerted efforts, they have made it to the top.
He admonished private investors to come to football and other sports toe the same path as Remo Stars for bountiful harvest at the end of it all.
“There is no short course to success. People may be saying they came third and had been second twice but not many remembered that they were relegated twice in their formative years,” Amuneke, the 1994 African Footballer of the Year, told NationSport.
“It is a template for private investment in sports. It is the way to go for our sports to grow. Private investment in talent development, facilities and infrastructure and the management aspect. Remo Stars’ blue print already shows that infrastructure development and a long term outlook towards the development of the team are critical to achieve success.
“Remo Stars have shown us that it is important to own your season, facilities and develop your players using them in clear pathways to potential success. Any private investor or private individual who is looking to come into sports must follow that blueprint because success does not come overnight.”
Ditto, the South-West Football Association Chairmen’s Forum- led by Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi, sent heartfelt congratulations to Remo Stars Football Club, saluting their extraordinary feat.
“It wasn’t just a title win; it was the breaking of a quarter-century jinx, a moment that firmly placed Ikenne, Ogun State, and the entire region back on the national and continental football map,” the forum noted in a message signed by its secretary, Sola Fanawopo. “This is a proud and emotional day for football in the South-West.
“Remo Stars have written their names in gold, breaking a 25-year drought since Julius Berger FC last lifted the league trophy for our region in 2000.”
But this success was not served on a silver platter. It was earned — painfully, slowly, stubbornly. Remo Stars came agonizingly close three times in recent years, finishing third , second and again second , tasting the bitterness of near-misses.
Each time, they stood up stronger, refused to be broken, and kept their eyes on the prize. Their resilience is now a lesson for all young teams and players: greatness demands persistence.
The Forum further heaped special praise on the players, coaches, and management for their unwavering dedication and collective belief while reserving the highest honours for the club’s visionary owner and chairman, Chief Kunle Soname, whose investment in world-class facilities and commitment to grassroots football development has not only transformed Remo Stars but set a new benchmark for Nigerian football.
“Mr. Soname’s foresight and investments have rewritten what’s possible in Nigerian club football. His name will be forever etched into the golden pages of our nation’s football history,” the statement added.
Eyes on the future
Now, as NPFL champions, Remo Stars are set to represent Nigeria in the prestigious CAF Champions League. The South-West Football Association Chairmen’s Forum expressed total confidence in the team’s ability to excel on the continental stage and called on Nigerians to rally behind them.
“This is not just a Remo Stars victory; it is a clarion call to all stakeholders — governments, investors, fans — to invest in the future of our football. Remo Stars have shown that dreams still come true when vision meets hard work,” the Forum noted.
Also speaking on the league title win and their forthcoming challenge, Remo Stars head coach, Daniel Ogunmodede told journalists that the Sky Blue Stars won’t change things differently from what they have been doing to ensure they do not distort their football’s culture and philosophy.
But he reckoned that their ultimate motivation would be to better than the last season outing in the CAF Champions League where they crashed out in the first round to AS FAR of Morocco. A team that they have lost to twice in the last three seasons 2022-23 and 2024-25) before the 3-2 aggregate defeat to Medeama of Ghana last season (2023-24).
“For now, we are in the euphoria of celebration and we are yet to receive the trophy. We must take a step before the other,” Ogunmodede, an assistant coach to Super Eagles’ coach, Eric Chelle, said. “We need to enjoy this moment first before we think of what is next to do. We are a club that has grown in culture and a behavioural pattern for a number of years and so we will like to do better than what we have done. In the continental competition, we just eager to do better than our previous mark.”
Equally, Remo Stars attacker, Sikiru Alimi. told NationSport that he was thrilled to win the league title but that the club’s immediate focus is to do well in the XAF Champions League having exited so early in the last two seasons.
He said now that the title had been won with some games to spare, they would now be fully focused on raising a formidable squad for the CAF Champions League.
“Winning the NPFL is noteworthy and this will remain with me forever,” Alimi said.“ We have worked so hard for this and I am happy that we eventually got what we have been labouring for, for the past few seasons.
“We have moved on from the league title and our target now is to do well in Africa. It is something we must work on to show that we are progressing,” he added.
Remo Stars’ captain, Nduka shared Alimi’s sentiments, adding that everyone in the club is working round the clock to ensure that the Sky Blue Stars hit the ground running in the 2025/26 CAF Champions League season.
“We know the task before us and we are not going to joke with it. We shall have few more days to reflect on the league title and by the time we have our hands on the trophy, we shall know what to do next,” he said.
“The CAF Champions League is the ultimate for us and we shall go there as Nigerian champions and we shall not fail our fans.”
