You will surely not be wrong if you consider this caption a reflection of
the state of affairs in Ondo State, on all fronts at the moment under
the leadership of the Award winning Governor, Dr. Segun Mimiko, for
by all reasonable standards it is obvious that the Sunshine State has
risen above others in many spheres of human endeavour. But in as
much as the phrase “Sunshine and Rising” also allegorically depicts the
good fortune of Ondo State in the past 33 months that Dr. Mimiko has
been in the saddle, it is essentially, as far as this write-up is concerned, about the phenomenal rise of two Ondo State sponsored football clubs who are campaigning for honours in the 2011/2012 Nigerian Premier League (NPL) season which got underway last week. They are The Sunshine Stars FC of Akure and The Rising Stars FC of Ondo.
Without doubt, the good fortunes of these two sides today are the product of the wonderful initiatives of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to put the state ahead in the round leather game. Upon assumption of office, the governor established, the Ondo State Football Agency (OSFA), the first of its kind in Nigeria with the terms of reference to oversee football matters and ensure the success of the state's teams in every football competition. To achieve these objectives, the governor brought in seasoned administrations like veteran Mike Idoko and Segun Adagunodo to oversee the Agency and the result have been resounding.
Apart from pushing Sunshine Stars and Rising Stars into the limelight, the agency also achieved the seemingly impossible by ensuring that the state female clubside, the Sunshine Queens won the National Ladies League for the first time in the history of the Ladies event and the first by any state in the South West. The game also witnessed a meteoric rise in the primary and secondary schools level as a secondary school from the state, Brilliant Secondary
school, Akure for the first time in the history of Academical football in the state played in the final of the SHELL Cup.
Indeed, the club- outlook of the 20-team-format NPL in this current season is an eye opener to the fact that Ondo State is at the forefront of football in the country. Apart from, Rivers State
(Dolphins FC and Sharks FC) and Kwara State (Kwara United and ABS FC, formerly Bukola babes), only Ondo State has two teams in the Premier League.
The bigger of the two teams, Sunshine Stars FC is currently rated No. 178 in the world, 5th in Africa and will be representing Nigeria in the lucrative CAF Champions League this season alongside Dolphins of Port Harcourt. The team placed a close second in the NPL last season and reached the Semi-Final of the CAF Confederations Cup where they held their own against some of the best teams on the Africa continent, some of which they beat on their home soil.
In appreciation of their good run on the continent last year,The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) made them the only Nigerian side to draw bye into the second round of the Champions League without kicking a ball.
Rising Stars of Ondo, on the other hand as the lesser known of the two teams only made it to the elite league of Nigerian football after scaling through all odd hurdles to place 2nd behind Akwa United FC in the Professional League, Division 1b last season.
I have taken time to watch the two teams in training this year and from what I saw, Sunshine Stars under the tutelage of the hard working coach Gbenga Ogunbote should be able to win the NPL title (which they narrowly lost last season) in this 2011/2012 season while I also tip them to reach the semi-final of the CAF Champions League. It is remarkable to note that the Soccer-Loving Governor has left no one in doubt about his mission to see the team reaching for greater heights this season by providing the managers with the resources to beef up the team which has seen them becoming about the biggest spenders in the NPL Transfer market this season. Apart from established NPL players like Segun Oluwaniyi from Shooting Stars and Soga Sambo from Niger Tonerdoes, the teams has gone beyond the shores of the country to acquire good players from such countries as Libya, Cameroon, Ghana and Togo.And with old players like new Super Eagles invitee and second highest goal scorer last season, Ibrahim Ajani, Atanda Shakibu, Temen Medrano, Okeyima Akombo, Dele Olorundare among others still raring to go, I do not have any doubt that the Stars can move mountains this season.
Although, Rising Stars might not be a contender for the NPL title, I do not see them swimming in relegation waters in the NPL this season.
With the hardworking and seasoned coach Sunday Erelelusi overseeing things at the Ondo based club coupled with the outstanding motivational drive of Club chairman, Fisayo Akinkuade, it is not hard to predict that sheer will-power, team discipline and exemplary team work that the Rising Stars are noted for will keep them in the NPL next season. Frankly, the team cannot hope for anything better than survival, at least, for this season.
For the soccer-loving citizens of the state,we have never had it this good. It would really be heartwarming and particularly exciting for Akure residents to see two teams from the state hosting the biggest names in Nigerian club football week in, week out on the astro turf of the new-look Akure Township stadium. To this end, I hereby appeal to the contractors handling the renovation work to speed up the finishing touches. It is remarkable to note here that the crowd I saw watching Sunshine Stars train on the pitch on Tuesday surpasses the crowd I often see watching the club's NPL matches at Ijebu-Ode, last season. Truly, there is no place like home. We can't wait.
