After a frustrating end to the first round of games in the Group A of the NPFL abridge format campaign, Remo Stars return for the second half of the season, looking to bounce back.
Refreshed and boosted with the arrivals of new faces during the mid-season break, Daniel Ogunmodede’s minions hosted Nasarawa United, in search for their first win in five league games.
Our correspondant, Kehinde Hassan Afolabi was at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne as the Sky Blues look to put behind recent disappointments, which also includes elimination in the Ogun State Aiteo Cup in the hands of their own Academy, Beyond Limits.
As for the visitors, Nasarawa United have had a poor season too but ended the first round with a 2-0 win over Sunday’s host thanks to goals in either half from Joshua John and Emmanuel Ogbole.
That was only their second win of the season and a first league win over Remo Stars since January, 2017, further highlighting how poor the Ikenne based were in the later stages of the first round.
Report
On Matchday, the host were not short of support despite their recent shortcomings. Fans traveled down to Ikenne from nooks and crannies of the state, to grace the match and show unwavering support for their prodigal team.
The colour, sky blue, painted the four corners of the stadium. Fans, in their hundreds, played their vuvuzela while those with flair for singing do, and those who can’t, helped themselves by following the lead of the gifted.
The anticipation of the new arrivals, the longing for not seeing the team play in more than a month and the anxiety brought about by their position on the log, which was not encouraging at kickoff.
Junior Lokosa, top scorer of the league in 2018, was named on the bench after completing a move to the club during the break while Ifeanyi Anaemena started on his debut, alongside captain Nduka Junior in the heart of defense.
Andy Okpe led the line in the company of Samuel Anakwe and Adams Olamilekan, the latter who recently returned from international commitment with the Nigerian Flying Eagles at the Under-20 African Cup of Nations.
The visitors got the match underway, kicking from left to right and while both sides threatened to gain the upper hand in the early exchange, Nasarawa United had the ball in the back of the net in the opening two minutes but the flag had already gone up for offside before the striker heads home.
Both sides continued to enjoy a fair share of the possession and in the 16th minute, Remo Stars had the breakthrough as Samuel Anakwe scored an acrobatic effort for his third league goal of the season.
A cross in from the left from Ogunribigbe was met with the header of Andy Okpe, but Nasarawa United Goalkeeper made a good save. However, there was no denying Anakwe from close range, and the winger added to his tally, as Remo Stars’ top scorer this season.
After that goal, Nasarawa United would go on to dominate the remaining minutes of the match, asking the tougher questions by creating the bigger chances and forcing saves off the Remo Stars’ Goalkeeper, Kayode Bankole.
The Remo Stars were completely outran in the middle of the park, while the players continue to chase the visitors. Nduka Junior and debutant, Ifeanyi Anaemena that were made to work the most, and credits to the duo, repelled all thrown at them.
The situation at the moment is really not encouraging and for coach, Daniel Ogunmodede. The fans have started asking questions of his competence and why the club parted company with their messiah, Gbega Ogunbote.
It is not everyday that you come to Ikenne and outplay the host. It is no joke that in the entirety of last season, under Gbenga Ogunbote, they won 79 per cent of their home games, and suffered only two defeats.
Even on the road, only champion, Rivers United earned more than their 15 points. Remo Stars used to be joy to watch and their current struggles will always prompt fans to continue asking why the club in the end choose not to continue with the now Shooting Stars gaffer.
It is a rarity for a team, fresh from the second division to become so good in their first season back in the topflight. Even if it’s about investment, there have been records of those who still failed despite having great backing financially.
It was crucial to get the club up here following the disappointments in their previous seasons in the topflight and Ogunbote, in his first and only season not only made the Ikenne stadium a fortress but also made multiple history with the club.
The project and progress under Ogunbote made Remo Stars the most improved side in the league last season, considering they had only gained promotion, to finish third was a remarkable achievement.
Ogunbote delivered continental football to Ogun State for the first time ever, and ensured that the club played arguably the best football in the whole of the country. Unfortunately, he wasn’t here to see the team play ASFAR Morocco over two legs, of which they were bettered under the guide of Ogunmodede.
This season, despite making a great start to the campaign, winning each of their first three games, it has faded off and now the team depends on scrappy displays to get results, while on occasions they can’t even do.
A run of four winless came to an end after the win over Nasarawa United but all that was there in the Remo Stars Stadium on Sunday knew there was only one better team, and that was not the host.
It was an undeserved win but one they’ll gladly take, just to build positive atmosphere and calm the unease that has surfaced and they lived with since their last league game before the mid-season break.
So far, Ogunmodede has not proven an upgrade on Ogunbote, whom the club let leave at the end of the last season but regret at this stage will mend no mess, they just have to hope the players have enough fight in them to ensure a better season, which can still be achieved.
Made great signings during the transfer window and maybe once this players settle down, they will help turn things around for the better.
During the break, Ogunmodede in an interview said the club created a lot of chances in the first half of the season but could not convert, hence the addition of strikers.
The expectation, after Remo Stars finished third last season was that they take the league by storm this term and blow away all in their path. But after a 3-0 loss away to newly promoted Bendel Insurance on Matchday four, it started to look like that proponent is farfetched.
Nonetheless, if they can manage to secure a playoff spot, then maybe they can actually go all the way to the title and in doing so, Ogunmodede prove his critics wrong and make the fans of the sky blues smile again.
Author : Kehinde Hassan Afolabi
