Remo Stars win historic NPFL title

Remo Stars, the flagship club of ‘notable’ football investor and business mogul, Honourable Kunle Soname, have clinched  their historic  Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL)  following a hard fought 1-0  home win over Niger Tornadoes at their idyllic  Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.

The pathway towards yesterday’s success, albeit, became clearer for the Sky Blue Stars on  Friday after Rivers United, whom  they were leading  with seven points,  stumbled to a  2-0 defeat  to Kano Pillars with goals of Ahmed Musa and Rabiu Ali.

The Daniel Ogunmodede-led side knew a home win would land them the ultimate prize even  with three games to spare  on a day their financier, the debonair Soname hit  his 59^th  anniversary, and they fought gamely  and  were rewarded with  the much needed victory six minutes before the end of the game through Olamilekan Adedayo.

With Sunday’s victory, Remo Stars  are unassailable  with an impressive  68 points which is 10 points better than second-placed Rivers United who are on 58 points with just three games to the end of the season.

Regarded as one  Africa’s biggest sports investors, Soname apart from Remo stars, owns  the Nigeria Women Football League’ s team Remo Stars Ladies, Nigeria second tier club Beyond Limits as well as C.D Feirense  in Portugal, amongst other investments

Meanwhile, Director General of National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, has congratulated  Soname on his 59^th  birthday anniversary which coincided  with  his side’s historic  first NPFL title’s  celebration yesterday following their home  victory  over Niger Tornadoes in Ikenne.

” I want to wish my brother and friend, Kunle Soname, a very fruitful and happy birthday as he adds another year today,” Olapade said in a statement.” Soname is one of Nigeria’s leading entrepreneurs and Sports investors who has continued to invest massively in the growth of Nigerian Sports in various capacities. His type is very rare  because of all the things he does to promote, develop and sponsor the sports ecosystem in Nigeria.

” Soname is a major contributor to the sports economy of the country and I am delighted to say he is a rare gift to the country’s sports family, and we are proud to associate with him and all that he is doing”..

Equally, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has warmly felicitated with  the notable football investor, describing him as  ‘a  proprietor of a number of football clubs in the country’.

“As a Football Federation, we are enamoured by the worthwhile investments that Hon. Kunle Soname is making in the game of football in Nigeria, Africa and the world. To be proprietor of four different clubs across continents and gender is no mean fit. We celebrate his love for the game and wish him a very happy birthday and many happy returns.

“Apart from the clubs, what he has on ground at the Remo Stars Sports Institute in Ikenne-Remo marks him out as a serious and committed investor. A number of our National Teams continue to benefit from the facilities and equipment therein, and the project is still ongoing. We pray that God will grant him good health and long life to fulfil his dreams,” Gusau said.

In a related NPFL development, Abia Warriors remain third in the table with 56 points after a 3-1 win over Shooting Stars in Umuahia. They are three points better than fourth placed Ikorodu City who let slipped a goal before losing 2-1 to Akwa United in Uyo.

The victory takes Akwa United points tally to 41 but they still remain in 18th spot while Sunshine Stars also beat Katsina United through Waheed Adebayo’s double to occupy the 19th spot with 41 points.

In Yenagoa, Bayelsa United needed a late goal to beat El Kanemi Warriors 2-1 while Heartland paid for calamitous missed chances by losing 1-0 to Nasarawa United in Gombe where the latter was banished to due to the unruly behaviour of their fans.

Enyimba stunned Rangers International FC 2-1 in Enugu to ensure that the Flying Antelopes have now lost all their last three home games against Plateau United, Heartland and now the People’s Elephant.

In Ilorin, Kwara United thrashed Lobi Stars 4-0 while Plateau United dazed Bendel Insurance 2-1 in Jos to steer clear of relegation worries.

Matchday 36 fixtures fixed for May 7^th  will be pivotal for all teams especially the second and third places that will produce the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup tickets.

Relegation war too has not been concluded with Lobi Stars’ relegation to the lower league the only certainty still.