Head Coach of Remo Stars Football Club (RSFC) Gbenga Ogunbote has termed his team’s spectacular 2-0 victory over Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club (MFM FC) as “a sweet one”.
Ogunbote made the description after the team picked up maximum points away from home at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, in the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) curtain raiser on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akanni Qudus and Andy Okpe scored in the 55th and 90th minutes to give the Sky Blue Stars their first victory in the NPFL since returning to top-flight football.
Ogunbote was quoted on the team’s official website as saying that the victory was a sweet one simply because Remo Stars had been termed ‘underdogs’ in the NPFL.
“It was a sweet one. They call us underdogs because we are a new team in the league. Just like I did say, we won’t be carried away with it.
“It’s just match day one in the league. We still have 37 games to play but it’s a good one for us and I think it will strengthen our confidence level,” he said.
The Remo Stars’ boss stressed that the victory was a reward for an outstanding display by his team, adding that his boys played according to instructions, which was key to the team’s victory.
“Nobody will tell you he doesn’t want to win. MFM FC came to win, we also came to win but thank God we were able to take our chances, and we did our best.
“Just like I told the players, we needed to defend our integrity and they did just that.
“They were not under pressure and all we needed to do was to go home with a positive result.
“There was not much to be said, I told them it could become anybody’s game.
“All we needed to do was to have a goal ahead of them, once we have a goal, then our confidence level will rise.
“I know that the moment we scored that goal, they were desperate to equalise, so we were waiting to punish them with a counter.
“Our opponents are ‘old dogs’ in the NPFL, so all we needed to do was to put up a good fight to ensure that we get it right,” he said.
NAN also reports that next up for the Sky Blue Stars is a home game against Heartland Football Club of Owerri at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State.
(NAN)
