Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan will start their 2024/25 football season against Nasarawa United of Lafia as announced by the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) board during the draws which was held in Abuja on Tuesday.
3SC had a resurgence in the second stanza of the 2023/24 season ending fourth on the league table missing continental football by whiskers.
Speaking with Sporting Tribune in Abuja after the draws, Shooting Stars chairman, Babatunde Olaniyan, said his team is ready for the new season irrespective of where they (3SC) are starting from.
“You either start (the league season) either from home or away but however I’m happy that we are playing against them (Nasarawa United). Eventually, if we emerge as the league leaders we are going to be celebrated in our home.
“To the glory of God we’re going to start from where we stopped last season and we are going to pick the momentum. God has been able to use us to win fans back to the stadium. And I can assure you that (Coach Gbenga) Ogunbote has signed another year with us and we are retaining at least most prominent members of the team and we are fortifying it with few brilliant ones so that we can get going immediately from the first match so that we can get continental ticket this season.”
Olaniyan, however commended, Governor Seyi Makinde who he described as the backbone and the number one supporter of the club and who has given 3SC tremendous support since he became governor.
“You see football in Nigeria now is money. And if you look at the problems most clubs in Nigeria are going through, it’s about finance. We are still asking for more (money) particularly when you look at a team like Shooting Stars travelling from Ibadan to the far North. We travel to Maiduguri, we travel to Gombe, Nasarawa which is stressful. But if we can arrange most of our matches in the North by air, it’s going to give us a lot of relief.”
NPFL chief operating officer (COO), Davidson Owumi, said the curtain raiser billed for Saturday, August 31st, 2024 will be league champions, Rangers International of Enugu and President Federation Cup winner, El Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri. While Rangers will be flying Nigeria’s flag in the CAF Champions League, El Kanemi will be playing in the CAF Confederation Cup.
NPFL week one features:
Rangers International vs El Kanemi Warriors
Abia Warriors vs Remo Stars
Beyond Limit vs Enyimba
Plateau United vs Katsina United
Lobi Stars vs Akwa United
Kwara United vs Niger Tornadoes
Bendel Insurance vs Rivers United
Kano Pillars vs Ikorodu City FC
Sunshine Stars vs Bayelsa United
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