Sunshine Stars coach Bobola Akinfolarin laments ‘painful’ defeat to Shooting Stars

By Dayo Awoniyi

Sunshine Stars head coach, Bobola Akinfolarin, has voiced his disappointment following his side’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Shooting Stars in a hard-fought Matchday 36 encounter of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.

The match was decided in the 84th minute, when a late penalty was awarded to the hosts after a scramble in the penalty area at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba, Ibadan.

The penalty proved to be the only goal of the match, securing a crucial victory for Shooting Stars.

In his post-match comments, Akinfolarin admitted that the loss was a painful one, particularly given the manner in which it unfolded.

“Conceding a late penalty is always difficult, and this one feels especially tough,” Akinfolarin said. “It’s a painful result, but we must remain focused.”

Despite the setback, the Sunshine Stars coach emphasized that his team must keep their eyes on the remaining two matches of the season.

“We have two more games to play, and our aim is to bounce back and finish the season strongly,” he added.

With the defeat, Sunshine Stars are now looking ahead to their next fixtures, hoping to recover from the disappointment and secure vital points to close out the campaign.