3SC Won’t Go Down, Assures Adepoju

General Manager and interim coach of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), Mutiu Adepoju, is confident that his side would remain in the Premier League at the end of this season having found itself battling relegation all season.

In spite of a disappointing goalless draw against Lobi Stars in a Week 27 game at the Adamasingba Stadium, Ibadan, Adepoju told Naijaligue.blogspot.com that his side would not press the panic button, as it faces a dogfight in its first season in the top-flight in three years.

Though Adepoju, who also holds the role of technical director at the club, was dissatisfied with his players’ lack of cutting edge in front of goal, he pointed out that Shooting Stars still has its destiny in its own hands.

“I must say that this (0 – 0 against Lobi Stars) is a disappointing result for me, and not just only for me but the fans too who came to the stadium to support the team. I am also sure that the players are disappointed with themselves too for failing to win this game. But it is a job that all of us would have to do to make sure that this great club, Shooting Stars, does not go to relegation.

“The players know that we cannot afford to fail because it will mean that all of us failed and we will not be able to look at the fans in their faces to tell them that we tried our best if we are relegated. But I am confident that Shooting Stars will remain in the Premier League by the end of the season,” Adepoju promised with so much confidence.

The Premier League club’s coach also shot a look ahead of Saturday’s visit to Yenagoa, where it would face another relegation-threatened side in Ocean Boys.

Adepoju said his team would go to Yenagoa with the intention to avoid a defeat that would send it into the relegation zone by the start of next week.

“Going to Yenagoa to play Ocean Boys will be a difficult game for us because we have struggled in our away games this season. But we will go there to pick points rather than lose. This team has enough good players to do well in our remaining matches this season and that is what we will be doing.

“Also, we will be hoping that the match officials will be very fair in their handling of that match because we have had some very bad officiating against us in some of our away games, which would have been different if those officials did the right thing,” Adepoju said.