The Nigeria Premier Football League has begun for the 2023 season following the clash between Akwa United and newly-promoted Bendel Insurance last weekend.
The fixture produced a shocker as the Benin outfit thumped the Promise Keepers 2-0 in Uyo for their first away win in the Nigerian top-flight in 18 years.
A look back at the previous season and a certain Remo Stars who were a promoted team for the third time, did one of the unthinkables by finishing in third place and booking a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Indeed, it was a big statement from the Ikenne-based side that is famed for its youth academy and other developmental football projects. To finish above established sides like Enyimba, Enugu Rangers and Kano Pillars who have a combined 19 league titles between them, was truly a stuff of dreams.
Gbenga Ogunbote was the mastermind of this amazing feat. The experienced manager – who has had a history of taking teams such as Sunshine Stars into the CAF club competitions – is no longer at the helm of affairs at Remo Stars Stadium, and has rather gone back to Ibadan to pitch his tent with Shooting Stars.
Taking his place is Daniel Ogunmodede. The youthful tactician was the man that led Remo into the NPFL from the second tier, Nigeria National League, last season. He however went to Portugal for a coaching course which gave room for Ogunbote to lead the team of young and experienced players.
After more than a year out, Ogumodede is back and feels excited to be in the familiar Remo surroundings again.
“Of course I feel excited and more comfortable being back; this is my home,” he said in an exclusive interview with Afrosport.
“I went away for a while to get more experience, and I’m elated to be back doing what I love, and I look forward to taking this great club to its next level of development.”
On whether the coaching course has added massively to his experience, Ogunmodede said: “Yes, it has. I believe it has given me more experience and value. It has also helped me improve my quality and my approach to the tactical aspect of the game as a coach.”
Ogunmodede will be managing in the Nigerian top-flight for the very first time in his career. He has been affiliated with the Remo Stars academy for many years nurturing numerous talents. The NPFL is a another ball game entirely and when quizzed by Afrosport if he can make a difference in the top division, Ogumodede was affirmative.
“Definitely. I will use what I’ve learnt over there [Portugal] as much as I can here but, we need to understand that our approach to the game is different from theirs,” he continued.
“I started the youth system of this club in 2016 and it has been successful. Also, before travelling, I expected the nation’s football body to have approached us regarding our framework and how sustainable it is for the nation as a whole.”
Our actors. Our stars. 💫
Ready for #NPFL23 🌟 #WeAreRemoStars pic.twitter.com/ORipW6edMo
— Remo Stars Sports Club (@RemoStarsSC) January 14, 2023
It’s natural for a team that defied the odds last season, finishing so high and making it into a continental competition, aim to replicate the same thing. Ogumodede is however taking the a rather cautious approach this term where he just wants his players to work hard and give their best.
“Gbenga deserved all kudos for the great job he did, and I personally thank him for that,” he stated.
“As much as we don’t have total control of all the outcomes, we will keep working and pushing to give the best, and hopefully we do well.”
For Remo to have any hopes of going one step further this season, they need to play league games in the abridged format where the 20 teams are split into a group of two, with the top three in both groups progressing to the playoffs where the champion and continental spots is decided.
It looks like a tricky challenge. The last time such was adopted in the NPFL was in 2019 and Remo ended up last in Group A and relegated to the NNL. Its a much stronger and revived side now but Ogumodede is not a fan of the abridged format. He is however prepared for the challenge with his team.
“Like I said earlier about systems being different, in Europe, they don’t function with the abridged format. As much as I don’t like it, I’m a coach and not one of the administrators, and I have a job to do,” Ogumodede explained.
“Our main role is to get the players ready and properly motivated to fight for this team and for the top honours.”
New Year. New Season. Opening Fixture.
🆚 El Kanemi Warriors
🗓️ Sun. 15th Jan, 2023
🕛 4PM
🏟️ Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne. #WeAreRemoStars pic.twitter.com/hGRfIyJXms— Remo Stars Sports Club (@RemoStarsSC) January 14, 2023
Remo will play host to a newly-promoted team in El Kanemi Warriors on Sunday in Ikenne. It marks the first competitive outing for the Sky Blues in three months and while it is something Ogumodede does not like, he understands the importance of getting a result in front of the home fans, something that was crucial to their phenomenal run last season.
“Firstly, it’s absurd that we’ve been preparing for over three months without an actual competition, but like I said earlier, I am not one of the administrators, and we have a job to do against El Kanemi on Sunday,” he concluded.
“I know it would be a tough game but I expect the boys to properly interpret all we’ve worked on during the training camp. Nevertheless, our overall target for the match is to get all available points, seeing that we are playing in front of our fans.”
Remo Stars are on a very good trajectory which is putting them positively in the spotlight at the moment. It’s something that is fantastic to build the image of football in the country that is laid back by mismanagement, lack of structure and vision among other factors.
Remo are a team with a difference and while letting go of a big figure like Ogunbote will raise questions about their ambitions for this season, the board seem confident in sticking with someone who is a fabric of the club, and who better than a progressive-minded figure in Ogunmodede.
