Despite being entrenched in the Nigeria Premier Football League relegation zone, Sunshine Stars of Akure are refusing to give up on their slim chances of survival, as the 2024/25 season draws to a nail-biting conclusion with just two matches left to play.
Currently sitting in 19th position on the log with 41 points from 36 matches, Sunshine Stars have endured a turbulent campaign, recording only 11 wins, eight draws, and 17 losses. Their latest setback came in a heated Southwest derby clash on Wednesday, where they suffered a late heartbreak, conceding an 84th-minute penalty to hand victory to Shooting Stars (3SC) in Ibadan.
The loss leaves them dangerously close to the drop, but with fixtures remaining against fellow strugglers Niger Tornadoes at home and El-Kanemi Warriors away, there is still a mathematical path to safety.
Speaking with optimism after the derby defeat, Sunshine Stars’ assistant coach, Bobola Akinfolarin, maintained that all hope is not lost. “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,” he said.
However, the Akure-based side’s fate is not entirely in their own hands. To remain in the topflight, they must secure maximum points from their remaining fixtures and hope that results from other matches in the relegation battle swing in their favour.
The relegation battle this season is particularly fierce, with even teams outside the top seven mathematically still at risk. Sunshine Stars are currently joined in the bottom four by Akwa United (41 points), Niger Tornadoes (45 points), and one-time title winners, El-Kanemi Warriors (46 points), all of whom face tough tests in the final two rounds.
Niger Tornadoes’ clash with Sunshine Stars this weekend could prove decisive for both sides. Tornadoes then host Kano Pillars, who are currently chasing a continental ticket, in their final fixture of the season.
Akwa United, who are level on points with Sunshine, will host Bayelsa United this weekend before ending the campaign away to Heartland FC, another side hovering just above the relegation zone. Heartland, on their part, face a daunting trip to Benin to play Bendel Insurance before welcoming Akwa United.
El-Kanemi Warriors are currently perched precariously in 15th place. They travel to Umuahia this weekend to face a motivated Abia Warriors side aiming for a continental berth before facing Sunshine Stars in what may turn out to be a survival shootout on the final matchday.
As it stands, anything short of a win for Sunshine Stars in their next fixture could see them condemned to the Nigeria National League, but if they manage to secure a crucial victory and replicate the result on the final day, coupled with favourable outcomes elsewhere, they may yet pull off a dramatic escape from relegation.
