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Ibadan Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) coach Gbenga Ogunbote has confessed that the team’s poor form in away matches ruined their aspirations for a continental berth this season in the Nigerian Professional Football League ( NPFL).
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Despite recording a 1-0 victory over Sporting Lagos FC on the final day of the season last Sunday, the Oluyole Warlords finished just one step outside the qualification zone for next season’s CAF Champions League.
Rangers International of Enugu had already won the title with one game remaining the previous weekend, thus leaving open the second and third positions in the last two continental places, and 3SC were among the three contenders.
Sadly for Ibadan football fans, Remo Stars of Ikenne secured second place on the record, while Enyimba of Aba finished third, thus leaving the 3SC to lament how they missed out on what could have been a long-awaited return to continental terrain.
The disappointing end to the season has now left speculation over Ogunbote’s future with the Oyo State team, but the veteran tactician revealed that the club management has already offered him a new contract.
Ogunbote replied at length: “My contract has expired, but offers have been submitted. Until we get to the conclusive aspect, that’s when we can say it’s okay.
“For now, the season is over and we are analyzing what went wrong. I think we made mistakes on some occasions, especially in away games, and we didn’t start well.
“If you look at the end of the first round, we were in 11th or 12th position, and that really took its toll on us. In the second half we were able to recover, but unfortunately we suffered some losses away from home.
“There were a few games we lost away from home and normally if we had gotten a point it would have made the difference.”
He concluded by acknowledging that Rangers, which is also one of his former clubs, was at its best and deserved to be crowned. NPPL champions for 2023/2024.
“The Rangers were outstanding; give it to them. They worked for it. They have a good team and a solid coach. They are a team that knows what it takes to win the league,” Ogunbote concluded, while praising The Flying Antelopes.
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