Ogunbote Fears ‘Unpredictable’ Referees May Scuttle 3SC’s Continental Ambition

Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan coach, Gbenga Ogunbote has expressed worry over the possibility of poor decisions by referees affecting his team’s target of ending this season with a continental ticket.

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Ogunbote admitted his concerns after The Oluyole Warriors took another giant step forward with a 2-0 victory over visiting Lobi Stars of Makurdi in a match day 30 fixture of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).

It marked a continuum of recent remarkable form that has seen 3SC surge from 12th to 4th position on the NPFL log in the spate of two months, and the Oyo State-owned side are now only five points behind their eternal rivals and current league leaders, Rangers International of Enugu.

The propelling statistics for Shooting Stars indicate eight wins in their last 11 ganes, lost only one out of eight and drew two from five; with a stunning victory away to former champions, Kano Pillars part of the bargain.

Within the same time frame, 3SC’s goalkeeper, Okemute Odah has pulled off six clean sheets, while the like of Junior Lokosa and Daniel Piagwa continue to enact top grade performances in the hunt for goals.

The attention on Tuesday, though, shifted to Alex Aghahowa and Douglas Achiv, who got the goals that sank their former club, Lobi Stars at Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.

Their latest win has accentuated talk among Ibadan football lovers about 3SC winning the NPFL title this season, but Ogunbote prefers to stay calm and sued for caution.

Rather than join in hyping his side’s title prospects, the former Sunshine Stars of Akure, Rangers of Enugu and Enyimba of Aba handler said his target is just to pick a continental ticket, but stressed that poor officiating might still scuttle that aspiration.

Ogunbote reasoned, “Before now, I didn’t shy away from meeting expectations. The target is to get a continental ticket.

“I want to finish in an appreciable position that the owner wants. I want to finish on track with those aspirations.

“We have eight games to determine that, but you never can say. It may depend on the type of officiating we get home and away.

“With good officiating, we can still pick more wins on the road. A level playing ground gives a better side the edge.”

The veteran coach reasoned further that referees go a long way in determining the outcome of matches and could ultimately decide the direction in which the title would eventually swing at the end of the season.

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