3SC boss appeal for a rancor-free atmosphere as plays Remo in Ikenne
The Executive Chairman of the Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan, Babatunde Olaniyan, has appealed to the traveling supporters and fans of the club to be peaceful and orderly before, during, and after Wednesday’s Matchday six clash against Remo Stars in Ikenne.
Speaking ahead of the match, billed for the Remo Stars Stadium, Akoro, as the 3SC boss is called, urged the Oluyole Warriors’ backers to eschew all forms of violence and embrace peace.
“We know that our people will travel in their large numbers to Ikenne, to cheer their darling team up against their southwest brothers, it is on this premise, that I want to appeal to them to shun any form of violence.
“You will recall that recently, the supporters club of both sides had a meeting, where they agreed to always allow peace to reign, no matter the situation on the pitch.
“This is what both supporters have demonstrated recently. Our supporters were in Ikenne to support Remo Stars during their CAF Champions League campaign and when we hosted Plateau United on Matchday One, Remo Stars supporters were in Ibadan to drum up support for us.
“These lay credence to the fact that between Shooting Stars and Remo Stars, the days of violence are over. It is a matter of two brothers involved in a contest. It is therefore a brotherly affair,” Olaniyan said.
Meanwhile, the NPFL match day six fixture, involving Doma Utd of Gombe and Bendel Insurance FC of Benin, earlier scheduled for Thursday has been postponed.
The league management body informed Bendel Insurance FC on Monday, in a statement signed by the Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi.
The midweek match, originally scheduled to be held on Thursday, November 2, at the Pantami Stadium in Gombe, will now be held on November 8, at the same venue, according to the circular from the league management body to the two clubs and other concerned stakeholders
The body announced the postponement of the match in a letter signed by the League’s Chief Operating Officer Davidson Owumi, conveying their decision for the shift in date to include logistics issues.
Bendel Insurance now turns their attention and strategies to Remo Stars in the Match Day Seven game, scheduled to be held on Saturday, November 4, at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin. Kick-off time is 4 PM.
The Benin Arsenals currently occupy the 9th position with seven points on the NPFL table after playing four matches.
The FA Cup reigning champions started the domestic league on a bright note, on return from CAF Confederations Cup preliminaries, beating Shooting Stars 2-0 and Plateau Utd 1-0 in Benin in the match days two and three.
They suffered a 1-0 loss at Gombe Utd in the following week in the Match Day four encounter at the Pantami Stadium, Gombe before their home match day five goalless draw with Akwa Utd in Benin, last weekend.
Insurance and Remo Stars met thrice last season with the former having the upper hand.
Insurance FC defeated the Ikenne football outfit 3-0 in their first meeting in Benin and pulled a 1-1 draw in Ikenne in the revised fixture, only for the Daniel Ogunmodede-managed Skyblue Boys to pay Insurance back with a 1-0 victory at the season-ending Super Six in Lagos.
Elsewhere, Sporting Lagos coach hints at squad rotation for Kwara United clash.
Sporting Lagos head coach, Paul Offor, has said he will rotate his team in Wednesday’s Nigeria Premier Football League matchday six encounter against Kwara United.
Offor believed that the mid-week fixture was an opportunity for other players to show their quality in the team.
He, however, assured that he would field a strong team that is capable of challenging for victory in the game.
Sporting Lagos will battle the Harmony Boys at the Kwara Sports Complex in Ilorin.
“There will be some rotation as not all players will play all games,” he told Sporting Lagos media.
“We’re playing three matches this week, so we’re excited to give other players the opportunity to show what they can do.
“We’ll still field a strong enough team to fight for maximum points.”
Sporting Lagos have won two games, drawn two,
and lost one of their opening five games this season.
The modest club currently occupies seventh position on the table.
