2024/2025 NPFL Match Day 37: Sunshine Stars seek last straw for survival against Niger Tornadoes

Posted : 11 May 2025

It will surely be the toughest of all battles in the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Match Day 37 fixtures as Sunshine Stars FC of Akure seeks to hold on to the last straw for survival in a tough match against Niger Tornadoes in Ijebu Ode.

Having played all their home matches away, the Owena Whales are at utmost risk of relegation, while the match against the Ikon Allah Boys has all the makings of a tense battle between two sides not yet safe from relegation.

Sunshine Stars are in 19th place with 41 points, while Niger Tornadoes sit four points above in 17th.

A loss for Tornadoes would pull them deeper into danger, while a win offers Sunshine some relief.

To stand a good chance of escaping, they must win their last two matches, which are against fellow strugglers Niger Tornadoes (home) and El-Kanemi Warriors (away) on the final day of the season.

“We have two matches to go, and Tornadoes played at home and they drew. So anything can happen; we keep pushing until the end of the season,” assistant coach Bobola Akinfolarin said after their last game against 3SC in Ibadan.

However, their destiny is not entirely in their hands, meaning that the results of other matches in the final rounds must go in their favour as well.

Mathematically, the teams outside the top seven in the NPFL are not yet safe from relegation this season, and the battle is more intense in the bottom half of the table, where most of the teams are clashing against one another in the final two rounds of matches.

Former champions Akwa United (41 points) and Niger Tornadoes (45 points) are above Sunshine Stars to complete the bottom four. Tornadoes face Sunshine next, and their last game of the season will be against eighth-placed Kano Pillars at home.

There’s also the drama surrounding Sunshine coach Bala Abubakar, who previously managed Tornadoes and is reportedly sacked, though no official statement has been made.

Meanwhile, Sunshine Stars head coach Akinfolarin Bobola maintains that his side still has a fighting chance of avoiding relegation.

Akinfolarin expressed determination to keep battling until the end of the campaign.

“The league is a marathon with the two matches left in the season,” Akinfolarin stated.

“Niger Tornadoes played at home and they drew—anything can happen. We will face it till the end.”

Head-to-head:

Both clubs are tied with two wins each, and one match ended in a draw in their last five encounters.

15 Dec 24: Niger Tornadoes 4 - 1 Sunshine Stars

23 Jun 24: Niger Tornadoes 2 - 1 Sunshine Stars

13 Jan 24: Sunshine Stars 0 - 0 Niger Tornadoes

7 May 23: Niger Tornadoes 0 - 2 Sunshine Stars

12 Feb 23: Sunshine Stars 2 - 0 Niger Tornadoes

2024/2025 NPFL Match Day 37: Sunshine Stars seek last straw for survival against Niger Tornadoes

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics