After a fantastic run in the 2023/24 season, in which we missed a return to the continent by the whiskers, having finished fourth on the log, expectations were high that the 2024/25 season will be more rewarding.
As a club, we made bold moves to build on the strong finish we had the previous season.
Backed strongly by the Oyo State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of the state, Engineer Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, the management took serious steps to ensure we fared much better in the recently concluded season.
For a start, by popular demands, of course due to the scintillating performance of the team, we retained our technical crew, headed by the Oracle, Gbenga Ogunbote.
As expected, the technical crew engaged in the recruitment of quality legs to fortify the squad for the season’s hostilities.
Afterwards, we got involved in various pre season activities including, close camping, friendly games and participation in few pre season tourneys like the annual Valuejet Pre season tourney, the Optima Energy Gold Cup as well as the maiden Coal City pre season tournamnent in Enugu.
Along the line, we had encounters against big team’s like Enyimba FC, Remo Stars, Sudanese top side, Al-Merrikh and ASVO FC of Benin Republic and the rest.
With good performance in those preparatory games, we were fully ready to go, not only to make up the numbers, but to compete for honours, i.e, the league title, the Federation Cup and continental ticket.
The good
A positive start
We started the season on high, travelling all the way to Lafia, Nasarawa state, to pick a point, having held host, Nasarawa United to a 1-1 draw on Matchday one.
In that particular game, some of our newly signed legs, like goalkeeper Mustapha Lawal, who was substituted at the start of the second half due to injury, returnees Desmond Ojietefian, Samuel Ayanrinde, who scored the late equaliser, Adebayo Abayomi and one of our new recruits, Aliu Abubakar and others were impressive.
That set the tune for what looked like a promising season.
Although we had mixed results in between, including a 1-1 draw on home soil against Plateau United on Matchday two, followed by back to back loses on the roads and another goalless draw at home against Enyimba, we were able to bounce back later to finish well in the first half of the season
Six straight wins including five in December to remember
In what would go down in history as one of the rare feat in the Nigerian league, we recorded six wins in a row. With our mathcdays 15 to 19 holding in December, we were able to secure the available 15 points from the ties, beating Abia Warriors 2-0 (home), Sunshine Stars 1-0, (away), Kano Pillars 2-0, (home), Rangers International 1-0 (away) and Kwara United 1-0 (home), before beating Nasarawa United 2-0 at home in the start of the second round.
In the process, we scored nine goals without letting in any.
Eight matches without a defeat
We capped our six straight wins in December with one more win (1-0 against Bendel Insurance at home) and a draw (1-1 against Plateau United in Jos).
Those results took our streak to eight matches without defeat (seven wins and a draw).
Third place finish in the first round
Our target for the season got a very big boost with a positive finish in the first round of the season, as we ended on the third position with 33 points, three points adrift of leaders Remo Stars and one short of second placed Rivers United
Brave individual performances
There were individual brilliance from some of our players and that formed part of the good side of the season.
Players like Desmond Ojietefian, who played every minute of the first round, goalkeeper Mustapha Lawal who was brilliant in between the sticks, Sodiq Ibrahim, who was recruited in the second round but ended finishing as the highest goal scorer with six goals and others, were outstanding.
Comfortable finish on the log (8th)
Although it fell far beyond our expectation and dream, we were able to finish on the eight position. There was no need for relegation fears and permutations for survival as it were some season’s ago. We could have done better, though.
The bad
Unfulfilled dream
Undoubtedly, failure to meet our targets of either winning a silverware or pick a continental ticket through either the league or the President Federation Cup, really hurts.
More painful was the fact that we started very well and we were at some points sure of making it until things turned the other way round inexplicably.
Federation Cup exit
Our unceremonious exit from the President Federation, no thanks to our disqualification by the Nigeria Football Association (NFF), despite not kicking the ball remains a shocker.
Dropped points on home soil
In the first round, we dropped four points at home but it was worse in the second round, in which we let go nine points, making it 13 points in all.
The ugly
It was bad losing steam at a point, it was bad to crash out of the Federation Cup unceremoniously but at some points, it was really ugly.
Season ending injuries to key players
Prematurely, the season came to an end for some of our key players.
The duo of Muritala Taiye and Lawal Abdullahi had an abrupt end to the season due to serious injuries which kept them out of larger part of the season.
Strong man at the rear, Desmond Ojietefian, who played every minute of the first round, could only play little part in the second round, after injury knocked him off.
To worsen the situation, one of our second round recruits, Ekeson Okorie played few games, only to be sidelined by injury.
At some point in the second round, the likes of Samuel Ayanrinde, Anthony Okachi, Monday Gideon and Mustapha Adams Agba’a, as well as our goalkeepers, all struggled with either injuries or ailment.
Closure of stadium to our supporters/fans
At the end of the 2023/24 season, we won the award for the best fans in the league. Sadly, it turned out the opposite side this season, no thanks to the ugly incident that accompanied our Matchday 32 fixtures against Ikorodu City.
Having our supporters and fans locked out of the arena for the last three matches of the season, was indeed painful.
Home loss to Remo Stars
Drawing at home was bad, but losing at home (0-1) to Remo Stars was one of the ugliest moments we witnessed in this season. Not at that time when we believe we can still realize our dream, if we had grabbed the maximum points.
Going forward
With the season over and our dream vanishing into the thin air, it makes no sense crying over spill milk.
We hope to make use of those bad and ugly incidents that killed our dream to prepare better and build for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with a view to appeasing our disappointed teeming backers with something to cheer about, a well deserved reward for their unflinching support.
While admitting that we let our backers down, it is pertinent to beg for your forgiveness once again.
Credit:
Tosin Omojola
Media Officer,
Shooting Stars Sports Club, Ibadan .