NPFL: Shooting Stars players were hungrier than my boys – Gombe United coach

Gombe United’s Head Coach, Aliyu Zubairu, says his team lost to a goal-hungry side in their 0-3 loss to Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan on Sunday.

Zubairu told newsmen in Ibadan after the 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 15 game that 3SC players were hungrier for goals than his players.

Sporting Tribune reports that 3SC scored through Taofeeq Malomo in the 41st minute, Godwin Alao in the 47th minute, and Douglas Archiv in the 65th minute.

Zubairu said 3SC showed the character of winning, while his boys wasted several goal-scoring opportunities they would not have wasted at home.

“The display on the field is not a justification of the end result. Anyone who came while the game was on wouldn’t have known 3SC were leading.

“They did not have control of the game all through. We had our fair share of the possession, but the 3SC players were hungrier than my boys.

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“I think it is just the character. They showed the character of winning. It is all about attitude and it cuts across all the teams in Nigeria,” he said.

The coach said most teams become nonchalant anytime they are on the road, adding they usually waste scoring opportunities that they would not have wasted ordinarily at home

Zubairu said that the attitudinal issue was a general problem that coaches must continue to work towards achieving great and positive change.

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He however boasted that his team would destroy the unbeaten run of Bendel Insurance in their next game to match up with what 3SC did to them.

“Certainly there is no threat for 3SC and there is none for my team. I am going to destroy the unbeaten run of Bendel Insurance, picking the complete three points to level on points with 3SC,” the coach said.

Gbenga Ogunbote, the Chief Coach of 3SC, attributed the victory to hard work and cooperation of the players, saying they would continue to get better.

Ogunbote said that the players knew the importance of the game and the need for them to finish the league in an appreciable position.

He added that the players were wasteful in the first half of the game, saying the game ought to have been wrapped up earlier.

“We should not throw away the fact that the team is new. Unfortunately, the first stanza wasn’t a pleasant one. So, we are trying to get it right.

“We noticed some grey areas in their game and we are making amends. The players know the importance of the game.

“We just have four games to go and no matter what happens, we must finish on a high note. We need to finish in an appreciable position,” Ogunbote said.