Onigbinde restates 3SC's title ambition

Shooting Stars' first adventure in the Premier League may have suffered some hiccups, having twice been comprehensively thrashed by Kwara United and Plateau United,including a phoney draw at home to Lobi Stars, but club manager Adegboye Onigbinde believes his team still ranks among the few in contention for the 2004 championship. The Ibadan-based club,recently the dominant side in the Globacom Premier League in Nigeria, have hit a
bad patch, with one win,two losses and a draw in their last four games.

Indeed Shooting Stars were cast into further Premier League confusion on Wednesday when they played a 1-1 draw at home to visiting Lobi in a game they were favoured to pick the maximum points.

Speaking via a telephone interview with nigeriasports.com from his Ibadan base, Onigbinde
decried assumptions in some quarters that Shooting Stars must have offered all they had in the early
weeks of the season and might possibly return to the Professional league.

"I don't know why people have started jumping into conclusions so soon,"he began."This is a game of
football, and in football you don't win all the time,you win some and you lose some.For the fact that
we've not had favourable results of recent does not mean we can't go the whole hog."

The former Super Eagles Coach posited that his team is only going through a phase and would surely
challenge for the title which is the ultimate target.  "Last year when we were campaigning in the
Pro league, I said my major pre-occupation was to gain promotion for the team to the Premier League. I take things in sequence.

 "Now that we are in the Premier League I think people should give us some time to settle down.
Is there any club in the league that has not lost a match?   "What is certain is that people are going to reckon with Shooting Stars as one of the strongest clubs in the league at any particular time, and we shall not hesitate to go for the title if the opportunity arises".

Shooting Stars are currently placed fifth on the standings with 14 points, same as teams occupying
second, third and fourth positions, but with a minus one goal differential.  The former African Cup Winners' Cup Champions travel to Owerri this weekend to honour a Week 10 encounter with Iwuanyanwu Nationale.

    By Dipo Okubanjo       

You won't be able to add comments, unless you are logged in
Not Registered yet ? Click here to Register.