Sunshine Stars were condemned to a winless run in February after ten-man Adamawa United pulled off a solid display to earn a historic away point of the season in Akure.
Both teams came into the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) Matchday 13 fixture on the back of divergent fortunes. Sunshine Stars were without a win in all their previous five matches in the month while the visitors recorded their first win of the season against Lobi Stars four days earlier.
Sunshine Stars could have got off to a flying start with three goal scoring chances within the opening two minutes. However, profligacy was the bane of the home side as all the chances failed to trouble Adamawa United goalkeeper Friday Achimugu who had only two feeble shots to save in the first half.
The Owena Whales had a total of twelve shots in the opening half and the most promising from the lot came on the half hour mark when Tolu Oluwole set up Samuel Agba but the latter inexplicably missed from six yards out. The former Kaduna United forward was unsurprisingly substituted for Kolade Adeniji ten minutes later while both sides went into the break leveled.
Sadeeq Yusuf forced Achimugu to a save barely seconds into the second half as the hosts continued their search for a goal that never came. Oluwole thought he had broken the deadlock in the 83rd minute when he pounced on Achimugu’s initial save to score a rebound. However, his celebration was cut short by the offside flag as the Owena Whales were left distraught.
The best chance of the closing minutes fell to substitute, Vincent Temitope, whose effort from five yards out bounced off the flailing leg of Achimugu.
Adamawa United held on to earn their first away point in their history, ending a run of 26 defeats from previous away games. Contrastingly, Sunshine Stars ended the month of February without a win, losing three of their six NPFL matches in the month.
SUNSHINE STARS XI vs Adamawa United #SUNADA
Uche Okafor 23, Olawale Abisoye 5, Tolu Oluwole 7, Sadeeq Yusuf 9 (Vincent 83′), Abiodun Joseph 11 (Adejubu 68′), Kehinde Adeyemi 12, Ebuka Akobundu 16, Waheed Adebayo 17, Samuel Agba 25 (Adeniji 40′), Alaba Adeniyi 29, Tope Akande 31
SUBS
Henry Ayodele 23, Isiaka Oladuntoye 3, Seun Olulayo 6, Kolade Adeniji 8 (Sub on: 40′, sub off: 68′), Sunday Abe 10, Ajani Ibrahim 14 (sub on: 68′), Uzochukwu Ogonna 30, Vincent Temitope 35, Ayo Adejubu 36
Goal: NIL
Yellow card: NIL
Red card: NIL
Match Stats
Shots on: 6-1
Shots off: 15-1
Corner: 11-1
Foul: 12-14
Offside: 2-0
Yellow card: 0-3
Red card: 0-1
Sunshine Stars vs ADAMAWA UNITED XI
Friday Achimugu 25, Abba Haruna 6, Etete Okon 14
Mbai Aminu 26, Emmanuel Ogbuagu 15, Nanushi Daniel 5, Mohammed Jiya 34 (Nnanna 69′), Saleh Mohammed 7, Idris Abubakar 32, Micah Ojodomo 33 (Sadiq Lawan 69′), Ibekwe Emmanuel 41 (Yunusa Lawan 69′).
SUBS
Victor Philemon 16, Uwem Charles 36, Yunusa Lawan 9, Isa James 17, Sadiq Lawan 20, Isa Garba 11, Stanley Nnanna 28
Goal: NIL
Yellow card: Emmanuel Ogbuagu 66′, Yunusa Lawan 78′, Stanley Nnanna 89′
Red card: Emmanuel Ogbuagu 90+2′
