By Wale Mustapha
Sunshine Stars’ Technical Adviser, Bala Abubakar, has confirmed that his team is fully prepared and eager to kick off the second half of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, following a challenging first stanza.
Despite a tough start to the season, the Owena Whales are looking to turn things around as they enter the second stanza, with their first match set for this Saturday against Ikorodu City at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
Abubakar, who previously coached Niger Tornadoes, revealed that Sunshine Stars have been active in the midseason transfer window, strengthening their squad. He expressed confidence in building a more compact and competitive team capable of climbing the NPFL standings.
“We are working round the clock to ensure we start the second string of matches on a promising note, beginning with victory in our first match,” Abubakar said in an interview with Sunshine Stars media.
“The reverse fixture will be tough. They are a strong side and are currently holding a comfortable position on the NPFL table. They’ll be here fighting for points, but we have prepared adequately and are confident of starting on a positive note. The team is stronger now and more formidable than ever.”
Sunshine Stars currently sit 16th on the NPFL table with 21 points from 19 games and will be looking to secure a much-needed victory as they aim to climb higher in the second half of the season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
