By Dayo Johnson
There was a time when both this season’s NPFL winning Coach Solomon Ogbeide and newly crowned FA Cup winning coach Gbenga Ogunbote were both number one and two at Sunshine Stars.
That season Sunshine Stars did not only get a continental ticket but also battled for the title while ahead of the start of the following season Ogbeide got the boot and as his assistant and understudy then Ogunbote was elevated to the gaffer’s role, in fact for three back to back seasons (including Ogbeide’s era) Ondo State darling team became a top four finisher and even one of Africa’s finest teams according to ratings as at the period under review.
After Sunshine Star’s Confederations Cup semifinal showing Ogunbote also got the boot a process which also resulted in him going along with some of the Star players who all headed towards 3SC then while Sunshine Stars continuity was already tampered with and the performance graph dropped significantly infact the man Solomon Ogbeide was called back for another rescue mission to prevent Sunshine Stars from drowning in relegation waters a few season after he was relieved of his duties.
While “IPA” as coach Ogbeide is fondly called got the job done to ensure Sunshine Stars remained in the elite class his contract was not renewed ahead of the incoming season and till date all the Shine about our darling team looks to have bleaked.
Fast forward to Ogbeide’s next job Lobi Stars and he is already a league winner while his somewhat understudy then Ogunbote will line up Rangers International FC against Lobi Stars in the season opener the Charity Cup our own version of the Community Shield while these two former Sunshine Stars coaches are also back on the Continent to represent their fatherland.
As for our darling team we have no other team to call our own but Sunshine Stars but let’s pray that something drastic is achieved in terms of performance from the present move to reposition the team…
Up Sunshine! Up Stars!!
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