The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sunshine

  • Lobi’s Eduwo set to destroy Sunshine

    Lobi’s Eduwo set to destroy Sunshine

    Lobi Stars striker Kingsley Eduwo has said he is driven to haunt another former club, Sunshine Stars, after his goal beat old club Shooting Stars at the weekend.

    Eduwo fired a 15th minute goal for Lobi to get off to a flying start at Shooting Stars on Sunday.

    Lobi host Sunshine stars in Makurdi today, and the big, young striker said he is aiming for the scalp of his former club.

    “To start a season with a goal and victory is a good sign. Our next game is at home against my former team, three points is our target and I am optimistic I will score,” said the striker, who turned a deal in Norway to stay in the domestic championship.

    However, Eduwo said he will not celebrate should he score against the Akure club because he has a soft spot for them.

    “If I scored, I won’t celebrate because I love the team so much. I just had to leave for a new challenge,” he revealed.

  • Ekpai plots Sunshine’s fall

    Ekpai plots Sunshine’s fall

    Akwa United talisman, Ubong Ekpai has told SportingLife that the Promise Keepers are not carried away by their latest successes and have arrived Akure with their confidence high that they are going to get a good result against Sunshine Stars on Sunday.

    The Uyo based side have lifted three trophies in barely three months starting with the Federation Cup crown in Lagos in November and the LMC and the NFF Super Cup won in February.

    Ekpai told SportingLife that commencing the league season on a good note is paramount on their scale of preference and that they are relaxed and ready to face Sunshine Stars and see if they are able to get the maximum points or a draw.

    He said Akwa United players have their sights first on the league tie with Sunshine Stars before the weekend CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round second leg tie with Vital Club Mokanda of Congo in Uyo.

  • Ex- Sunshine’s Hillary pens deal with Skalica

    Ex- Sunshine’s Hillary pens deal with Skalica

    Former Sunshine Stars midfielder, Ikenna Paul Hillary, has joined Slovakian Super Liga club, MFK Skalica.

    The Slovakian modest outfit and Hillary agreed to a contract till the end of the current season after the midfielder played a test game and the club manager Aleš Krecek sanctioned his signing.

    Hillary officially signed to join the Skalica club last Saturday, and he feels it will give him a chance to further continue his football career after having to miss out on joining a Portuguese club due to paperwork last summer.

    However, the former 3SC man told supersport.com that he is ready to pick himself up and soldier on from the challenge that playing for MFK Skalica will bring.

    “I am happy with the chance to join the club,” said Hillary to supersport.com. “This offers me the chance to be back playing again after missing an opportunity to join a club in the summer. I am ready for this challenge now.”

    The 24-year-old defensive midfielder, who was part of Nigeria’s squad to the 2014 African Nations Championship (Chan) in South Africa, is expected to be unveiled this week in Skalica.

  • Adegbite overwhelmed to join Sunshine

    Adegbite overwhelmed to join Sunshine

    Sunshine Stars new signing, Razaq Adegbite is delighted to have made a move to the city of Akure.

    The sharp shooter has inked a two-year-contract with the Nigeria Professional Football League(NPFL) side and his arrival is expected to herald a new era for the Owena Waves.

    Sunshine Stars beat Warri Wolves to win the signature of the former Enyimba FC striker from Enugu Rangers.

    “I knew that one day I will play for Sunshine Stars and thankfully that dream has materialised. There’s a time for everything and I think this is the time God has destined for me to join Sunshine Stars and I am happy it has happened,” Adegbite said.

    Sunshine Stars have also signed Isiaka Oladuntoye, Segun Alebiosu, Benard Ovoke, Azeez Aremu and Abiodun Akande.

  • OWU Sports wear adds Sunshine Stars to its portfolio

    OWU Sports wear adds Sunshine Stars to its portfolio

    Leading indigenous Sports apparel brand, OWU Sportswear, has added Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Sunshine Stars, to its impressive portfolio.

    The move represents a massive brand benefit for OWU considering the pedigree of the Akure side, which is one of the leading clubs in the NPFL.

    “We’re proud to have Sunshine Stars use OWU Sportswear.

    “Sunshine placed 6th last term and we’re confident that the club will make a strong challenge for the NPFL title

    “Moreover, Sunshine’s impressive match day attendance will have a different feel when the new season begins,” said OWU Managing Director, Tunji Brown

    It’s the first time the Akure side will sign a sportswear deal.

    “Our association with Sunshine will allow us to further expand our position as Nigeria’s leading sports apparel brand,” he added.

    Also included is the club’s technical adviser, who will wear specially designed match day suits by OWU during the period of the contract.

    Apart from kitting the players and technical adviser, OWU will provide replica jerseys for the club’s teeming supporters.

    OWU, the only brand with a retail outlet, also holds kit supply contracts with a raft of other Nigerian clubs, backed with a robust PR rapport with leading Sports PR Agency, MATCHROOM Sports & Media.

  • Enyimba beat Sunshine to Dare Ojo

    Enyimba beat Sunshine to Dare Ojo

    Champions Enyimba have completed the signing of Dare Ojo to beat Sunshine Stars to the highly-rated Kwara United midfielder.

    Ojo posted an eye-catching performance with some spectacular goals and all-round displays even though Kwara made a prompt return to the lower league.

    Sunshine were also closing in on Ojo before Enyimba swooped on the midfielder.

    Enyimba have also signed former Nigeria U-20 midfielder Oladapo Olufemi from another relegated club, Bayelsa United.

    Olufemi, who was once on the books of Belgian giants Anderlecht, has also featured for Shooting Stars.

  • Sunshine explain choice of Unuanel

    Sunshine explain choice of Unuanel

    Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Sunshine Stars have stated that they have hired Samson Unuanel as their head coach to help them win trophies and earn the change to play continental football after the 2015/16 season.

    Sunshine Stars president Akin Akinbobola, who also doubles as the head of the Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA), said  he hopes Unuanel can achieve the “set objectives” of the club.

    The set objectives, which Akinbobola referred to are winning or finishing in the top-two of the top-flight as well as Cup success after a failed season in which they missed out on ending in the top-three which could have earned them a CAF Confederation Cup place.

    “We are aware of the expectations and desires of Governor  Segun Mimiko, who has invested so much in football development and also the passion and commitments of the football family in the state.

    “All these guided our choice of picking coach Unuanel as our new head coach. We call on everyone in the football business and industry in the state and beyond to help give the new head coach massive support so that he can achieve the set objectives,” said Akinbobola at the unveiling ceremony on Monday.

    Unuanel is excited by the prospect of returning to top-flight football after a few years absence.

    The former Kwara United trainer believes that though he is saddled with leading from the dugout, he wants “the support of everybody” at the club to succeed.

    “It is a thing of joy to be here today to see myself being unveiled as the head coach of Sunshine Stars, its a challenge that I’m accepting and hoping to succeed. By the special grace of God Almighty, and the support of everybody, we shall succeed,” said Unuanel.

  • Bosso: I am passionate but not keen for Sunshine job

    Bosso: I am passionate but not keen for Sunshine job

    Coach Ladan Bosso has exclusively revealed to SportingLife that he was underpriced by the management of Sunshine Stars of Akure.

    The former Abia Warriors coach was reported to have lost the chance of coaching the Akure Gunners because of his high demand from the club.

    But in a chat with SportingLife, Bosso said he was actually approached by the committee set up by the club to look for a coach not that he applied for it.

    SportingLife understands that Bosso, who earned N1.2m at Abia Warriors, was offered between N600, 000 and N700, 000 at Sunshine Stars.

    “It was the committee set up by the club to look for a coach that called me;  I did not apply for the job. I have passion to be Sunshine Star coach but I am not too keen for it and it is not a do-or-die affair,” Bosso said to SportingLife.

    “Coaching Sunshine Stars is a bigger challenge because it is a club eager for success. When they approached me I told them I will get back to them.

    “Again, the offer put on the table was far below what I have been earning in my coaching career. Imagine a coach collecting N1.2m at a club and he is being offered between N600, 000 and 700, 000.”

    The former Kano Pillars gaffer said that what Sunshine Stars offered him cannot achieve the target given to him.

    “Their proposed entitlement cannot not help to achieve the target set for the season. As a coach I should demand for what will help me achieve my target.

    “When we are talking about match bonuses I should collect triple of players’ entitlement. My first assistant should collect double of my players’ entitlement as well. Sunshine Stars is one of the clubs in the country that always compete for the top spot every season. Sunshine Stars are in the same category like Enyimba FC, Kano Pillars, Warri Wolves and other big clubs in the country.”

    The former Niger Tornadoes coach also said there are negativity surrounding the Akure-based outfit that will make the job very difficult to handle.

    “There are some negativity surrounding Sunshine Stars, one of which is the issue of owing players. As I am talking to you  I have made my investigation that the club still owes players about three to four months’ salary. So what is the fate of some of us that are coming in newly?

    “The second reason is that the sponsor of the team, the state governor, who is going for his last lap of his tenure. Nobody knows what his successor will be up to in terms of sponsoring the team.  The positive is that they are always a determined side which always looks to achieve something at the end of the day. I still wish them the best in their endeavours. And I am always making myself available if the need arises,”he said.

  • ‘Bosso’s big pay demand cost him Sunshine post

    ‘Bosso’s big pay demand cost him Sunshine post

    Ladan Bosso lost out on the Sunshine Stars top coaching post after he demanded for a monthly salary of N1.5 million.

    Last season, the former Nigeria U-20 coach was on  N1million  a month at another Nigeria premier league side, Abia Warriors.

    “Bosso wanted N1.5 million a month as well as for his personal assistant to be put on the club’s pay roll as well,” a top source informed.

    Sunshine finally settled for Samson Unuanel, who came top in the interview that also had former Sunshine coach, Gbenga Ogunbote.

    Former Kwara United coach Unuanel will earn N700,000 monthly at the Akure club.

  • Another top official quits Sunshine

    Another top official quits Sunshine

    Less than a month after the technical adviser of Sunshine Stars, Kennedy Boboye, resigned his appointment with the team, another top official, Divine Ogbonnaya has followed suit.

    In his letter of resignation dated November 25, and addressed to the chairman of the Ondo State Football Agency (OSFA), Honourable Akin Akinbobola, Ogbonnaya said he was resigning his position as the General Coordinator/Special Duties with the agency on personal grounds.

    OSFA is the agency in charge with the running of all the football teams in Ondo State including Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens.

    According to Ogbonnaya, he enjoyed his stay with the agency with maximum supports from the chairman and other members of the management committee as well as the fans but he nonetheless decided to move on to pursue personal goal.

    “I’ve no problem whatsoever with the management, especially my chairman, who was obviously shocked with my resignation but I had to leave now because of personal commitments.

    “I remained eternally grateful to Honourable Akinbobola and the management for the opportunity to serve the state. I also want to appreciate the fans for their affection throughout my stay in Akure and I hope to work in the state, in other capacity, in the nearest future,” Ogbonnaya said.