Gbenga Ogunbote sets new NPFL target after securing first win with Shooting Stars

By Saheed Afolabi

Shooting Stars coach, Gbenga Ogunbote says he wants to take the team to an appreciable position at the end of the regular Nigeria Premier Football League season following a 1-0 win over El Kanemi Warriors in Ibadan on Sunday.

The Oluyole Warriors finally recorded their first win of the abridged NPFL 20222/2023 season after defeating visiting rivals from Maiduguri thanks to Samuel Tiza Iorwuese’s 78th minute strike at the Lekan Salami Stadium.

And Ogunbote gave assurances that all hope is not yet lost and the team will be represented properly.

“Football is synonymous to contact and because it’s synonymous to contact, the chances of getting injured are there,” the former Remo Stars told media.

“The player that scored the only goal didn’t even play in the preseason as a result of injury, so you see the truth is the team did wonderfully well especially in the Lagos tournament and the Lagos tournament actually exposed the team and every team that wants to play against 3sc work extra having seen us play in the four club tournament.

“But be it as it is, we will still work it and I will continue to still work, all hope is not lost yet, we have just played four Games, we have about 14 games to play, we will do our very best to ensure that the team is represented properly.”

The former Remo Stars tactician added that the importance of traveling for away matches by air will ease the team from fatigue as he advocated for a level playing ground for all clubs.

“We will keep working, even the big teams that have arrived without new intake are having equal problem, if you look at the team that we are parading, you can equally virtually call it a new team, we are just trying to see what we can do to ensure that we play as a team, be it as it may be, we will still work on that,” he continued.

“That will help us because the IMC is insisting on not postponing any game and you know what it is if we have to travel from here to Gombe by road and come back by road, then we might have fatigue issue.

“No matter what the situation is, I think the league is old enough to have some sort of respect for professionals and I think it’s a good one for us and all I want to advocate for is a level playing ground. My target is to finish in an appreciable position.”

Shooting Stars have heaved a sigh of relief after getting their first three points of the NPFL 2022/2023 season and they will seek to improve their fortunes in the nect encounter against Gombe United in Damaturu.