The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sunshine

  • Gombe United must respond against Sunshine – Chigozie

    Gombe United’s Maurice Chigozie calls on his colleagues to bounce back against Sunshine Stars, following their disappointing 5-1 loss to Plateau United last weekend.

    “We are exasperated by the events of last weekend, but we have another game coming our way very quickly, which I think is a good thing for us,” Chigozie told Goal.

    “Obviously we will be without a few players now, but we still have players who have the quality to go to Sunshine Stars and cause them a lot of problems.

    “It does hurt to have lost scandalously to Plateau United and it isn’t a fair reflection of the game on our players, but we will use our frustrations to our advantage and look to get the result we want in Ijebu Ode on Sunday.”

  • Sunshine must pay me! – Samad Kadiri hits out at former club

    Sunshine must pay me! – Samad Kadiri hits out at former club

    Due to unpaid wages and bonuses, Samad Kadiri is filled with rage after exiting Sunshine Stars.

    “I was told to leave Sunshine Stars after the first round of this season but I am thankful to God that I’ve gotten a new club,” Kadiri told Goal.

    “Regardless of what may have happened in the past, I still want to wish them well but I want them to pay me the wages they are owing me.

    “They are yet to pay up three months salary and four match bonuses from last season and this term they’ve not paid one month salary and four match bonuses.

    “I’m not just talking but I know that they will regret what they did to me. I didn’t do anything wrong while at Sunshine Stars so they must pay for what they’ve done to me. I want to make so much impact at my new club, Lobi Stars so that Sunshine Stars will realise what they’ve missed.”

  • Sunshine to unveil Eguavoen as new Coach today

    Sunshine to unveil Eguavoen as new Coach today

    Plans have been concluded by the Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye led three-man committee set up by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State to re-organise and reposition sports in the state to unveil former Super Eagles Chief Coach Austin Eguavoen as the new Technical Adviser of Sunshine Stars Football Club in Akure today.

    SportingLife gathered exclusively from Akure yesterday that Eguavoen has returned from the United States of America where he had a brief holiday with his family and had gotten the go ahead from his family to take up the Sunshine Stars’ coaching job.
    “Yes all arrangements have been concluded as regards tomorrow’s (today’s) unveiling of Austin Eguavoen as the new handler of Sunshine”, the former Director General of National Sports Commission, Elegbeleye told SportingLife yesterday.
    The unveiling will take place today at the Ondo State Football Agency office, football village, Oda road, Akure at 11am..
    He will be assisted by ex-international Ike Shorounmu.

  • Eguavoen must ensure Sunshine stays in NPFL

    Eguavoen must ensure Sunshine stays in NPFL

    •Negotiations not concluded yet

    The major task of the yet to be contracted new Technical Adviser of Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure, Austin Eguavoen is to ensure that the club is not relegated and maintain their Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) status at the end of the season that would be on break this week.

    SportingLife gathered exclusively from Ondo State government top sources in Akure that the former Super Eagles coach met with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State last week and contractual talks are still in progress but it was evidently clear that Eguavoen would take over the team at the start of the second stanza of the ongoing NPFL before the end of this month.

    “Austin Eguavoen met with the state governor last week and the governor has approved his taking over of Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure. You know that Sunshine Stars is a big club and Eguavoen too is a big coach. So there is need for time to iron out the deal very well so that we can achieve the desired results we crave for.

    “He (Eguavoen) needs to travel (to America) to meet with his family and discuss with them about the new job before he can settle down. We are looking at a period like the beginning of the second half of the league for him to take over the team when all the contractual agreements have been sorted out anyway.

    “The governor has told him that the club must not be relegated this season. So his first assignment is to ensure that Sunshine Stars stays in Nigeria Professional Football League after then other things can follow like fighting for a continental ticket. But his primary assignment is for the club to stay in the elite division of the Nigerian league”, a top official from the state government disclosed yesterday.

  • Olujongbe pleased with Sunshine win

    Olujongbe pleased with Sunshine win

    Sunshine Stars head coach, Kayode Olujongbe has expressed his satisfaction with his side’s hard fought victory against Rivers United.

    The Owena Waves beat the stubborn Pride of Rivers 1-0 in yesterday’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matchday 10 clash at the Akure Township Stadium.

    Attacking midfielder, Ayo Saka’s brilliant grounder in the 38th minute proved adequate to hand the Akure outfit the whole three points at stake.

    Olujongbe said he actually wanted more than one goal in the clash to shore up the side’s standing on the league log.

    “I’m happy and pleased with the victory against Rivers United, three points are quite crucial, though I would have loved to win with more than one goal.

    “I said we will attack Rivers United from start to finish and we did exactly that in the encounter.Right from now on we will go all out to attack in all our matches, aimed at getting more goals.

    “The goal difference is what kept us on the spot we occupy on the log, we need to score more goals to up our position.

    “I expected us to win with two goals in the clash against Rivers United. We will work on it in future matches,” said Olujongbe to supersport.com.

    The win against Rivers United takes Sunshine Stars’ total earnings to 12 points from a possible 30 in the 10-week old Nigerian top-flight.

  • Sunshine players protest unpaid wages

    Sunshine players protest unpaid wages

    Sunshine Stars players took to the streets of Akure before landing at the Government House on Friday to protest six months unpaid wages.

    For the NPFL side’s staff who have not be paid for the past seven months, they have threatened to withdraw from all off-field duties if their outstanding entitlements are not cleared before February 15.

    The backroom workers claim they were abandoned by the former chairman Ola Mafo led board following the inability of the club to grab a continental ticket last season, and that the new board headed by Dapo Ajibade is not making any  effort to ensure they are remunerated.

    ”Some of us did not go home during the Yuletide season because there was no money to celebrate with our family’’ a key member of the team told Goal.

    ”We have always been treated as slaves yet the management want us to win the NPFL title and qualify for the CAF Champions League. How are we going to achieve that when we are all hungry?

    ”This is a key reason why some of our best legs left the club before the commencement of the season. Even the new chairman [Dapo Ajibade] looks unworried about our torment.’’

    At the Government House, Ondo State’s deputy governor Lasisi Oluboyo appealed to the players that they would be paid as soon as possible.

    All efforts to get in touch with the ODSFA officials proved futile as at the time of filing this report.

  • Olorunleke: Sunshine must remain focused

    Olorunleke: Sunshine must remain focused

    Sunshine Stars goalkeeper, Ojo Olorunleke wants his teammates to remain focused after defeating Kano Pillars 1-0 in the Nigeria Professional Football League Week 4 encounter decided at the Akure Township Stadium on Wednesday.

    Speaking after the encounter, the former Nigeria U20 goalkeeper said: “In everything you just have to give thanks to God because our hard work really worked for us. It was a tough match as you can see. What matters most is the outcome of the game. We needed the victory and God gave us. Now we have to remain focused.”

    After missing the first penalty kick, Ojo said the team never gave up.

    “Frankly speaking, we never expected to have penalty in the first place. We play the ball to score and penalty is also part of the game. If you are given a penalty, you can’t tell the referee you don’t want it. When we missed the penalty we didn’t give up because we knew that can derail our game plan.

    “We prepared for the match and we know come what may, we are going to win whether penalty or not. But when God says it is with penalty we are going to get the three points, we glorify His name.”

  • El Kanemi, Sunshine bag late wins

    El Kanemi, Sunshine bag late wins

    El Kanemi Warriors and Sunshine Stars needed late winners to stop Katsina United and Kano Pillars, respectively as Akwa United remained the only team yet to win this season.

    Visiting Katsina United looked like they will be the first team to pick a draw at El Kanemi, who have been unbeaten in Maiduguri in 14 matches, before substitute Anthony Sunday’s spectacular back-breaking winner in the 89th minute.

    In Akure, an 82nd penalty converted by Sikiru Alimi ensured home team Sunshine Stars edged past Kano Pillars.

    Akwa United languish at the bottom of the NPFL standings after they were held for the second time this season at home, this time by champions Rangers.

    Unlike the previous match day when all 10 teams won, Shooting Stars, Gombe United, Abia Warriors and FC Ifeanyiubah all had to settle for a share of the points in front of their own fans.

    Plateau United remained on top of the standings with 10 points from four matches, two points clear of closest rivals Rivers United.

  • Sunshine an international brand, says Ajibade

    Sunshine an international brand, says Ajibade

    Talks about Sunshine Stars having more of Ondo State indigenes in their squad has been quashed by the President of Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA), Prince Dapo Ajibade.
    According to Ajibade: “That can’t be true, we presented our team after a pre-season tournament and I can tell you that around 90% of that squad aren’t Ondo State indigenes,” Ajibade told Goal.
    “Sunshine Stars is an international brand, it’s not that regular local team. If we see quality talent any where in the world , we shall long to bring such talent to Sunshine Stars.”
    “My target next season isn’t the league shield, my focus is to ensure that things are done the proper way. Make sure players are paid as and when due, players welfare is paramount and when the right environment has been created the team will definitely achieve a whole lot.
    “Football isn’t expensive it’s the greed of some administrators that makes it feel it’s very expensive.”

  • Sunshine roll out drums for 21st anniversary

    Sunshine roll out drums for 21st anniversary

    Akure city dwellers and the people and government of Ondo State, Nigeria, are in the mood of celebration on the 21st anniversary of the formation of Sunshine Stars International Football Club of Akure.

    The anniversary programme opened yesterday with president of the club, Prince Dapo Ajibade, assuring that all logistics to support a colourful and befitting city storm have been put in place.

    Nicknamed “Owena Whales”, Sunshine Stars was founded in 1995 and has been playing in the Nigeria professional football league and in a couple of CAF competitions at their 5.500 capacity Akure Township Stadium.

    According to a statement made available to sportstalkafrica.com the 4-day event began on Friday, November 18, with a Special Jumat Service at the Central Mosque, Akure after which anniversary celebration train moves to the Motherless Babies Home in Akure today.

    Attention will shift to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Redemption Court Parish, Ondo Province 4, Headquarters, Akure on Sunday November 20, for a special Thanksgiving Service while a novelty match between Sunshine Stars 2016 Team and Sunshine All Stars Team will take place at the Ondo State Sports Complex same Sunday evening.

    The anniversary celebration will be rounded off on Monday, November 21, at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure.