….Ask Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa to act fast to save Ondo State Football Team
By: Oluwatosin Adesola
There is a palpable tension around the Ondo state-owned Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure due to poor results and sales news.
Trouble started for the Ondo state-owned Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure after they failed to win their last three games of the match day 13 of the Group B encounter of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) against Rangers FC.
Sunshine Stars have been winless in last three games of the NPFL.
This is even as fans demanded the removal of the State Commissioner for Sports and Youth development, Mr Dele Ologun, for the team’s poor outings.
Sunshine Stars had drawn the Wikki Tourist FC away in Bauchi on match day 10,played 1-1 with Doma United in Akure on match day 11 and the latest with visiting Rangers also drawing 1-1 on match day 13 encounter.
The result may not be unconnected with the recent outburst of the State Commissioner for Sports and Youth development, Mr Dele Ologun, over the outright sale of Sunshine Stars at the end of the season.
They also have a game in hand against Rivers United on match day 12.
The match against Rangers United played on Sunday at the Ondo State Sports Complex,Akure had Sunshine Stars Forward,Yusuf Ibrahim scoring for Sunshine Stars in the 13th minute of the encounter.
Rangers levelled up with their host 12 minutes later after a defensive mix up between the home team goalkeeper and one of his defenders.
Both sides were unable to make further difference in the first half of the encounter.
Sunshine Stars’ efforts to unlock the backline of their visitors were unsuccessful in the second half of the game.
The home team’s efforts which they thought had paid off in the 89th minute was disallowed for a foul on the Ranger’s goalkeeper by the centre referee.
The recent result made it two consecutive draw at home for Sunshine Stars.
There was however no post match interview as tension flared between both teams and officials of the teams after the final whistle of the encounter.
Sunshine Stars are fifth on the log with 18 points,while Rangers are eighth with 14 points in the group B of the NPFL as hopes for top three continues to fade away.
FANS SEEK REMOVAL OF OLOGUN AS COMMISSIONER FOR SPORTS
Meanwhile, some fans had called on Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the Acting Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to immediately remove the State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Dele Ologun due to the poor running of the darling football club of Ondo State.
Some fans and key stakeholders who spoke with newsmen at Akure Stadium after the Sunshine Stars-Rangers game, attributed the poor results of the team to irresponsible timing of an outburst by Ologun on the planned sales of the team.
One of the fans, who identified himself as Emmanuel Ayodele said “even if the club will be sold, the Commissioner has not managed it well, why discussing the issue now when the team is at the critical stage of the football season.
“Mr Ologun has shown clearly is not capable of managing sensitive public office. He is not competent at all. You can see fans are not happy. The team is not getting good results at home. He has used that issue of sales to distract the team further. We advise Mr Governor, Arakunrin and Hon Aiyedatiwa to immediately remove the man please,” the angry fan said.
Another football fan, who just gave his name as Ojo Akinbo said there is nothing totally wrong with privatizing the team provided the government carries all of us along and follow due process, but for Mr Ologun to be using such to be distracting the players and coaching crew, it is condemnable and he should be sanctioned before he destroys the team.
“Since the Sports commissioner has been discussing the sales of Sunshine Stars, the players and the management are no longer focused on football matters. It shows Mr Ologun does not know how to manage critical issue, we want him removed,” Ojo insisted.
But in his reaction, Ologun said, “the game we had few days ago, even the blind could see that we were robbed. It is broad day light robbery, even the match before this one and this would be the third time. I am not a striker, people can be mischievous and it doesn’t matter it is part of sports anyway.”
