Watch   out for Shooting Stars!!!

BY AYO ADEMOKOYA

(As the commencement of the 2017/2018 Nigerian National League which begins on the 31st of March 2018 hotsup, www.harohkah.blogspot.com.ng was at the camp of the darling team of the Yorubas,the Oluyole warriors of Shooting stars and give you the frank report on the preparation of Shooting stars who are poised to come out of relegation this season.

How realistic is their tall ambition? what are the steps been taken by the to echelon of the club to bring back the lost glory of 'SUTIN' these and many more you are bound to enjoy as you click www.harohkah.blogspot.com.ng for details..

Also get the free copy of the 2017/2018 Nigerian National League abridge League Fixture.)

It was Goke Solanke who first asked me how far with Shooting stars of Ibadan all the way from Canada. He wasn’t the only one interested in the camp of the darling team of the Yorubas since the team got relegated to the lower division last season. They all hope that the club would do the needful to make them happy again by returning to the elite division and one day restore back to the glory days.

That was how it got to me that I haven’t created time for football or any other journalistic venture since the demise of my father last October.

‘This is January’ I said to myself, ‘I just need to at least see for myself what’s on ground really’.

That feat was achieved on Friday the 19^th of January 2018 as I breezed into the stadium unannounced to watch the training match between 3SC and Sam Jarson FC of Lagos.

Earlier on the Thursday the 18^th of January, the team has walloped another team by 8:0 at the same Lekan Salami Stadium Adamasingba.

They had since piped Remo stars by a lone goal and plan more quality friendly football matches with the like of Osun United etc.

Below are my observation.

Peace and harmony in the Executives.

Despite the incapacitation of the Chairman of Shooting Stars board of Directors, Alhaji Gbolagade Busari, he made it a point of duty to attend the training football match between Sam Jarson of Lagos and Shooting stars against all odds.

He was there on time as he struggles with his crutches to a vantage position beside the pitch. I thank God that since the unfortunate incidence that incapacitated him for the better part of 2017, I’m glad he came out of the ordeal alive, we can only wish his quickest recovery the more so that the club could benefit more from his immense wisdom as a veteran sports journalist and now an astute politician.

We sat together and had private discussion with him and he was honest enough. Before we met I learnt there hasn’t been unnecessary clamour for allowances and bonuses from these crops of players in camp. My informants around the team had updated me that the boys and management are happy.

I also learnt beforehand that at least the boys are been paid regularly in the last 3 months despite the fact that the league hasn’t started.

The General Manager, Rasheed Balogun arrived on time to see the first goal. The goal was scored by a new boy who I learnt was fished out from Ikorodu. It was a beauty of a goal in early minutes of play, so I rest some of my fears seeing more goals pouring in afterwards, not just ordinary goals, but what we can call ‘What a week!’ or ‘Television goals’.

In his usual manner Balogun was in high spirit joking with everyone and you can see the synergy between him and Mr Chairman. There is no rancour at all. I believe such a symbiotic relationship exist among the trio of the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barrister Yomi Oke and the ‘two both of them’ (don’t mind me)

In the past, there has always been one form of rancour or the other in echelon of the cub which often affect major decision making. But the little I’m privy into as far as the relationship at the top in the hierarchy of sports and Shooting Stars is indeed very mutual.

The mutual and symbiotic relationship at the Executive level of the club brought about the choice of the new coach and the technical crew in unison with no divergent views which gave me and other enthusiasts hope and confidence for the forthcoming season.

‘Ayo, you seems to be impressed with this team but its work in progress,’ the GM began is chat with me, ‘I am still working on some lapses here and there for instance we played a match yesterday thursday… and there was a particular boy from that team which gave us headache…’  He paused and decided not to divulge the information further about the team any longer.

I also changed the topic as I am not really interested in what I am told but what I see as we continue to enjoy how Balogun’s squad pummeled Sam Jarson by 4:1

My conclusion is that once there is no rancour at the top, success of the team is at least 30%

THE TECHNICAL CREW

From afar off, I saw Kola Ige working hard with the goalkeepers. I was happy for him and the club for giving such a talented and experienced former junior international a chance to grow. About a year ago Kola told me that he is rounding up his studies at the Nigerian Institute of Sports in Lagos and I’m impressed with the way the young man is reorganising his career. I think he came for internship at the club and fortunately I learnt that Coach Lateef Yusuf has been on attachment with the National under 23 female team. So good for Kola to transfer is wealth of experience to the next generation. All of us would agree with me that Kola Ige was one of the best hand we have in the land and if not for one thing or the other the would be the first choice for the Super Eagles right now but fate has its own way of determining ones destiny. I saw hunger and the will to succeed on his face and this is good for the club for recycling a worthy ambassador and ex-players of theirs and good for the fans to have a resurgence in that department of the game

Defence.

Yomi Adigun aka Ogboju is one hell of a defender for 3SC in his hay days. ‘Ogboju’ was a very discipline captain of the team who could have made it to the national team if not for the lack of god father. He picked up a career in football coaching and in my presence the GM and the Chairman approved a certain amount of money to argument the fees he needed to begin a course at the Nigerian Institute of Sports in Lagos. The club is benefiting from the investment and I’m happy the GM saw a talent in him and gave him the chance to grow with the team as an intern. He is there working with them as an intern.

Kabiru Alausa was a prolific striker fpr 3SC in his hey days and for about 2 season now he has been integrated in to the technical crew of the team as one of the back room staff, though I really do not is designation I believe he is working with the coach who was also a clinical finisher in his hey days, no wonder 3SC is recording a high scoring margins against her opponents since the assumption of the new coach.

Yinka Gullit Baboni

I haven’t any personal relationship with the newly appointed assistant coach of the 3SC who was formerly with the under 15 team of the club.

I had prior knowledge of his appointment as the assistant coach of 3SC and was privy to the circumstances that threw him up been the clear choice of the Chief Coach, the General Manager,  Chairman and the honourable commissioner for sport. There is a clear synergy between him and Agoye and the GM right from his days as the under 15 coach of 3SC. He is diligent, intelligent and very hardworking.

The Chief Coach

Edith Agoye.

I need not to say much about this loyal personality. He spent years at the background as an obedient servant to some chief coaches of 3SC and waited for his time. He never spoke ill of his predecessors neither was he dangerously ambitious to take over reigns of the technical crew and was never involve in any controversy on and off the pitch.

 Often time he was the spokesman at every at post matches the club was involved speaking the mind of the coach the team and the management. ‘What a trust! What a duty!’

Once or twice via the telephone, I’ve chatted with him and I can authoritatively tell you that Edith Agoye is the right choice for the job.

The Team Manager

The Team manager is like a brother to me. He was my senior in our secondary school days and was such an idol having played for the junior team of the National team and eventually the super Eagles of Nigeria. He was an hero the Nigeria league and the Spanish La Liga with the Real Madrid.

Dimeji Lawal coordinates the team very well and with his wealth of experience both at the national and international level, players and officials of 3SC are benefiting from the depth of his experience.

I followed him on the social media recently and Im amazed at how he was able to intelligently educate and responds to peoples bias toward the management of 3SC and the team as far as Sunday Faleye’s transfer saga with Akwa United was involved. I later commend him for the impressive and matured manner he handle the case till Chief Paul Bassey himself publicly denied the boy and affirm that Faleye is owned by 3SC and not Akwa United. He is a very good team manager.

My view.

The team

From my experience with 3SC in the past, the problem with 3SC team has never been the team. There was a particular year where the team can boast of about five players in the national team( 2011/2012 season) and yet got relegated at the end of the season.

The main problem has always been internal bickering and lack of motivation for the players which affect the focus of the entire team.

Right now the helm of affairs of Shooting stars has gotten it right by been in harmony with themselves. The commissioner, the Chairman and the GM are in one accord and that has transcended into the collective choice of the chief coach and the assistant coach.

This has brought about harmony in the choice of players forming the team

3SC now has a team from my own point of view. The present crop of 3SC is led by Waheed Omololu and I saw at least 40% of the old players in the team. Players like Bode Daniels, Abayomi etc were in the ‘killer squad’ while the ‘new schools’ are now well blended into the team.

Yea, I noticed two or three exceptional players. I wouldn’t want to disclose their names but there was a particular boy whom I learnt is recruited from a particular club in Ikorodu, that boy was a star to behold judging from the way he scored the first goal against Sam Jarson from a very impossible angle, only an intelligent player could perform such a feat!.

3SC now has a team full of cohesion, style tactics and strategies.

From my findings, each department of the team could boast of at least three players. So it’s a team with depth. And talking about the bench, this also is qualitative, not just a quantitative bench.

With focus and prayer and no distraction from any quarters especially as afar as their motivation is concerned, 3SC would be the first to qualify from their group even weeks before the end of the 2018 Nigerian National League.

The Technical crew

If we sum up the characters in the technical crew of 3SC, we will notice young and experienced Technical crew who are hungry to establish a name. Those are the kind of people we need. Young brilliant coaches that are hungry for success. Coaches that are committed to the team not the money perse. Coaches who have a kind of history with the club, a kind of affinity and family bond that goes beyond the pay. Young coaches who are ready to make name for themselves and not those who already lost the passion burning in them.

The Fans

Another problem litigating against the progress of Shooting stars is the Supporters club and the fans.

Shooting stars has one of the most vociferous football fans in Nigeria. Their criticism could be constructive as well as destructive.

But judging from the attitude as I saw from the state general supporters club, University of Ibadan branch of 3SC supporters club, there seems to be a kind of re orientation among them in terms of how best to support the team,

The Dr Oyeniyi led Supporters has gone far by employing a consultant to help raise fund for the activities of the supporters which they can also use to support the team.

This is a welcome development unlike in the past when the supporters of the club would be at the beck and call of the club for funds and failure to do so means trouble for the entire management and the team

Throughout last year, I am Impressed with the attitude of the Professor Ayelari led Shooting stars supporters club of University of Ibadan branch,

This is a group of supporters from the academic institution with about 100 members who came together despite their academic stratifications to help the club.

They contribute money out of their personal sweat and even host the team. This step is commendable and that is why my organisation in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports led by Femi Ajao in the South West deemed it fit to honour the association last year 5^th of December.

I believe the main supporter club for the team would follow suit and there would not be any rancour or embers of disunity in and around the club this time around.

The staff

I learnt there was a kind of restructuring in the area of staffing. I really do not poke my nose in that area but I learnt some staff were either sacked, suspended or queried.

This has sent the right signal to the staff that seem lackadaisical to their duties in time past.

It’s a wakeup call really and it’s a good development.

The Press.

I think the media officer of 3SC, Honourable Jubril Arowolo Are of 3SC is doing wonderfully great. He has a very good relationship with the press and that is paying off for the club as we hear or read less of negative stories due to this long term relationship of Jubril with the members of the press.

Nevertheless the club could do better in improving their relationship with the press in a special way.

I also want to enjoin the member of the press to rally round of the team this time around regardless of the situation as we are the first victim if sports, football and 3SC are dead in Oyo state.

I can assure you that if the situation goes bad, I would be the first to write an OBASANJO like letter to the board.

But for now we pass our votes of confidence in the entire team, management and staff.

Thanks and God Bless