Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) have achieved their highest finish in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) since their championship win in 1998.
The club signed off for the season when they secured a huge milestone in their storied history after booking a 4th-place finish in their campaign, Footballrover reports.
The 2023–24 NPFL season saw 3SC exhibit consistent performance and resilience, culminating in their best league finish in 26 years.
All through their campaign, coach Gbenga Ogunbote and his Warriors managed to win just 18 games, gathering 62 points with eight draws and 12 defeats under their belt.
They also recorded 48 goals while conceding just 34.
The OYO Warriors were among the three teams with the fewest goals conceded at the end of the season and the second team with the fewest defeats.
In their last game of the season, the Oluyole Warriors faced Sporting Lagos at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The matchday 38 was a crucial one for both sides, as the home team needed a win to seal their spot in CAF Confederation Cup, while their visitors also needed a win to maintain their NPFL status ahead of next season.
Unfortunately for Sporting Lagos, Christian Pyagbara grabbed the only goal of the day to hand the visitors their biggest heartbreak of their campaign—a relegation spot staring right in their faces.
And as for 3SC, the final Southwest Derby of the season also saw them miss out on their continental dreams as their rival Enyimba pulled off a 2-0 win against Plateau United in Aba to salvage the spot.
However, according to Opta Nigeria, the narrow victory over Sporting Lagos sees Shooting Stars finish 4th in the 2023–24 NPFL. It is their highest finish since they won the league in 1998.
Although they narrowly missed out on the CAF competition to the people’s Elephant, the Oyo-based team will now be looking to build on this achievement and strive for even greater success in the next few seasons.
Be the first to comment on "How Shooting Stars Achieved Best NPFL Finish in 26 Years with Resilient 4th Place"