Shooting Stars head coach Gbenga Ogunbote has opened up about his team’s struggles following a tough defeat to Remo Stars during their Southwest derby in NPFL.
Labelling the Nigerian league as “difficult,” Ogunbote shared his frustrations over missed chances, defensive lapses, and the challenges of playing with a man down, Footballrover reports.
But amidst the disappointment, the seasoned tactician remains optimistic, hinting at a plan to turn things around for the Oluyole Warriors.
His side suffered a 2-0 defeat in a fiery Southwest derby against Remo Stars on Wednesday in Ikenne.
Southwest berby highlights Shooting Stars’ struggles in the NPFL
The Sky Blue Stars stole the show, with Sikiru Alimi and Olamilekan Adedayo delivering decisive blows to the Oluyole Warriors.
Alimi opened the scoring just before halftime, coolly converting from the penalty spot after Franck was brought down in the box, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way in style.
The second half brought more misery for Ogunbote’s men. In the 67th minute, Adedayo capped off a brilliant midfield sequence by pouncing on a rebound to double Remo Stars’ lead.
While the Oluyole Warriors showed glimpses of resilience, their lack of clinical finishing and defensive lapses proved costly.
Ogunbote, however, is determined to turn things around, knowing that his team must learn to convert their chances and maintain focus if they are to reclaim derby bragging rights in the future.
“It is unfortunate we lost the game.We were looking at getting it right on the road, yet another derby; we couldn’t get it right.
“We will keep fighting until we get it right. But the important thing is that the boys gave a good fight. We were a little bit wasteful; ordinarily we would have been two goals up in the first half.
The former Sunshine Stars and Enyimba handler also blamed loss of concentration for the defeat.
“The second goal was uncalled for; we needed not to have conceded that; we had a careless moment there.”
“Even after the second goal, we were determined to fight till the end, but the Nigerian league is difficult playing with one man short. If we can play this much with one man short, I think when we have a complete team, we should be able to do better,” he told the club’s media.
Shooting Stars will host Abia Warriors next.
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