5th November, 2010
Shooting Stars Sports Club, 3SC, of Ibadan will face an uphill task when they host arch rivals, Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure in their opening match of Nigerian Premier League on Sunday at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Last season, when both teams clashed in Ibadan, 3SC stole the show, beating Sunshine Stars 2-0, but the return leg in Akure was not good for the Oluyole warriors as they suffered 2-1defeat in the hands of the Mimiko Boys.
Chief Coach of 3SC, Fatai Amoo faces his former team in Ibadan and will hope to start this season on a winning note.
A former Sunshine player, Kabiru Alausa and Timothy Idogbe, who signed for 3SC will be at their best, as the duo will do everything at their disposal to wreck the visiting team
Amoo on the other hand, may be under pressure, because failure to clinch the three points at stake, especially in the league opener on Sunday, will not be acceptable to the vociferous fans of 3SC.
Sunshine Stars, who are preparing for the CAF Confederation Cup, will use their opening match against 3SC to test their newly signed players, Ofem Inah and Promise Onuh, who may want to justify their inclusion in the team.
Also, the fear of Ibrahim Baballe of Sunshine may be the beginning of wisdom to the home team, as his performance last season helped his club earn a place in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The encounter will be explosive, as it will attract the football fraternity from the South West zone of the country because of the rivalry between the two teams.