Sports
Sunshine Stars Look to Bounce Back Against Ikorodu City as NPFL Resumes

- Sunshine Stars face Ikorodu City in a crucial Southwest Derby to kick off the second half of the season.
- Sunshine Stars sit 16th, just one point above relegation, after a tough first half.
- New coach Bala Abubakar is determined to lead the team to safety with a strong start to the second stanza.
After a three-week mid-season break, the Nigeria Premier Football League resumes with a thrilling southwest derby between Sunshine Stars and Ikorodu City, set to headline match-day 20.
Sunshine Stars will host the high-flying Ikorodu City at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, with memories of their 2-1 defeat in the first leg still fresh in their minds.
Unlike their visitors, Sunshine Stars have struggled this season, sitting 16th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone.
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They were hampered by a mid-season managerial change and a series of poor results in the first half of the season, but new coach Bala Abubakar is determined to turn things around.
Abubakar acknowledges the challenge of steering the team to safety and believes a strong start to the second half of the season will help lift their confidence.
“We have been working round the clock to see how we are going to start the second leg on a promising note with a sound victory in our first match of the second stanza,” the coach said.
“We lost the first leg to them 2-1, they will want to come here to fight point, so it’s going to be a tough beginning, nevertheless, we are battle-ready for the second leg.”
Sunshine Stars scored just 13 goals in the first stanza, a joint-least number and the coach is confident their days of misfiring are over.
“We have improved in the area of goal scoring, we have done well in the area of finishing, from the friendly matches we have played so far, we can score from chances created.
“I believe as we start this second round that the situation is going to be improved, you will see us scoring more goals in this second round.
“The team is stronger, and we are going out stronger this second round, the team is now more formidable than ever before”.
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Ikorodu City, currently sitting in sixth place and ahead of teams like Kano Pillars and Enyimba, have exceeded expectations this season. However, they must maintain their momentum to secure survival.
In the Southwest derby, they have been dominant, winning two and drawing one in the first half of the season.
Despite their strong debut in the topflight, the club’s primary goal remains to avoid relegation.
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