Remo Stars head coach, Daniel Ogunmodede, has said his team would fight to maintain their unbeaten record against Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), in their upcoming clash at the Naija Super 8 zonal play-offs.
The match will be one of the six Naija Super 8 qualifying games which will be held at the Eket Township Stadium from 23-25 June. The two teams will duel for the ticket to represent the South-West zone at the Naija Super 8 finals in Lagos from 7-16 July.
Shooting Stars and Remo Stars have met six times in the top division with Remo Stars winning two games and four drawn games. The statistics put Remo Stars as the favourite against a historic side, Shooting Stars.
Speaking ahead of what is branded the “South-West Derby”, Ogunmodede said encounters between the two teams have always been tough and described the clash as “arguably the most interesting derby in the country”.
“It is always tough playing against them. A friendly game against Shooting Stars is like a competitive game. Both sets of fans do not joke with the game. With this prestigious tournament, it will be the most interesting derby game in the play-offs.
“We have been the better teams in the derby, historically, and we have not lost against them. But I know they will be willing to earn their first win against us. They have the pedigree and history, but we will fight for our pride,” Ogunmodede boasted.
Both teams have connections beyond on-field clashes. Shooting Stars coach, Gbenga Ogunbote, masterminded Remo Stars’ first qualification for continental competition, CAF Confederation Cup, in 2022. The Sky Blue Stars ended the just-concluded league season with a CAF Champions League ticket, the club’s biggest achievement.
“The coach (Ogunbote) is one of the most experienced coaches in the league and younger coaches like me have drawn inspiration from him. He worked at this club and this gives the derby fresh dynamics.
“We have had a long and interesting season, and we must compete on the same level in the Naija Super 8. The season was great and successful, we gave the boys a few days break and we are back to work for the tournament,” Ogunmodede said.
All Naija Super 8 play-off matches will be live on SuperSport Football (DStv ch 205 & GOtv ch 61), SuperSport Variety 4 (DStv ch 209), and SuperSport Select 2 (GOtv ch 64).
Naija Super 8 is organised by Flykite Productions in partnership with MultiChoice Nigeria and sponsors, MTN, Hero Lager, DStv, GOtv, SuperSport, Moniepoint, Pepsi, and Custodian Assurance.
