2024/2025 NPFL Match Day 38: El-Kanemi Warriors seek relief from Sunshine Stars debacle

Posted : 25 May 2025

Surely, the El-Kanemi Warriors FC of Maiduguri’s 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season has been blighted by the absence of their charismatic coach, Aliyu Zubair, who has been away with the U-20 national team.

Zubair has been the architect of the team's success in the past, having guided them from the lower league in the Nigeria National League (NNL) to the NPFL and also leading the team to win the 2024 President Federation Cup in Lagos.

However, with Zubair’s busy schedule and subsequent absence from the team, the Desert Warriors have struggled and have often failed to replicate the form that saw them perform so well at the beginning of the season.

Now, the Desert Warriors are sitting in 16th place with 36 points, just two points ahead of another relegation-bound team.

El-Kanemi Warriors this season have been poor both at home and away, securing only one win in their last five matches, alongside two draws and two losses.

For their last home game, which should come with an advantage and a good win, the Desert Warriors must beat the already relegated Sunshine Stars and thoroughly dominate if they want to stay afloat.

Owena Whales, on the other hand, fear no fall as their fate has already been sealed to play in the lower league.

Regarding the relegation woes of the Akure-based team, the former coach blamed interference in the team’s activities by external forces.

Veteran coach Samson Unuanel explained the reasons behind Sunshine Stars’ relegation from the NPFL despite their rich history and 2012 CAF Champions League semi-final finish. Now, the Owena Whales will play in Nigeria’s second tier in the 2025/26 season.

At the start of the season, Kennedy Boboye resigned due to interference from the club’s management.

However, his replacement, Abubakar Bala, was unable to stabilize the team, as poor results continued both at home and away.

The relegation of Sunshine Stars was sealed on matchday 34 after a 1-0 defeat to former champions Rivers United.

Former Sunshine Stars coach Unuanel expressed disappointment with the outcome and highlighted key factors behind the club’s gradual decline.

"I felt truly saddened by the news of Sunshine Stars’ relegation because the club is very close to my heart. Sunshine Stars have all it takes to be a force in Nigerian football, but there was too much interference," Unuanel said.

"When I was there, I experienced it firsthand. The person who brought me in had genuine intentions and offered me a three-year deal, but I only lasted two months.

"Honestly, many of the players I brought in then are now excelling internationally. Sadly, I was never given the chance to complete the work I started."

Unuanel was appointed as Boboye’s successor in December but was dismissed just three months later, along with technical director Henry Abiodun, by the Akin Akinbobola-led ODSFA administration.

He continued: "If you hire a coach, then let him do his job. The interference at Sunshine Stars is just too much, and I’m not afraid to say it.

"That’s the main reason they got relegated. The club has a solid structure, good facilities, and impressive player welfare.

"But the problem is, in Nigeria, everyone wants to act like a coach. The moment a player isn’t picked, the coach is suddenly not good enough. The reality is, no coach can pick every player."

A return to Nigeria’s top flight will hinge on Sunshine Stars’ performance in the second tier, where a top finish is crucial to earning promotion.

Asked about their chances of a quick return to the top flight, the former Enyimba and Kwara United tactician expressed optimism.

"They will come back soon because the government is now ready to do the right thing," Unuanel added.

"The management needs to sit up and allow the coaches they appoint to do their jobs without interference. They must focus on scouting and developing young, talented players.

“In Nigeria, there’s too much recycling of the same players. You’ll find someone who’s played for six or seven clubs across the country and is still being rotated. That’s not progress.

“We’re neglecting the grassroots. Coaches are afraid to take risks because if they do and results don’t come immediately, they get sacked. I don’t blame them because very few coaches in Nigeria are in a position to take those chances.”

Head to head
El-Kanemi Warriors vs Sunshine Stars last 5 matches:

21/12/2024: Sunshine Stars 1-0 El-Kanemi Warriors

31/01/2018: Sunshine Stars 1-0 El-Kanemi Warriors

23/07/2017: Sunshine Stars 1-0 El-Kanemi Warriors

01/03/2017: El-Kanemi Warriors 3-1 Sunshine Stars

2024/2025 NPFL Match Day 38: El-Kanemi Warriors seek relief from Sunshine Stars debacle

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