Sports
3SC Begins Restructuring, Releases 20 Players Into Transfer Market
Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan says it has released 20 out of the 40 players they registered for the last Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.
The club’s management, in a statement in Ibadan by its Media Officer, Jubril Arowolo said this was part of their ongoing restructuring programme.
Tidesports source gathered that 3SC were, after the 2016/2017 season, relegated from the NPFL to the Nigeria National League (NNL) for the 2017/2018 season.
The statement disclosed that the decision to release the players and place them in the transfer market was taken after evaluating the performances of every player in the team.
It listed players retained to include Abubakar Adamu, Michael Uweru, Kayode Bankole, Seun Akinyemi, Alaba Osawe, Omololu Waheed, Opeyemi Adetoyi, Oginni Olatubosun, Ayobami Abiodun (Jnr), Shile Ibrahim and Sunday Faleye.
Others are Jide Apena, Abayomi Adebayo, Rafiu Wasiu, Shittu Taiwo, Isiaq Rafiu, Ajani Ibrahim, Kunle Olukokun, Bode Daniel and Sherrif Sanda.
“The club’s remaining 20 players, whose names did not appear on the list, have been placed on transfer and will not be part of the team when the new season commences,” the statement announced.
It added that a number of new players would be added to the list of the players retained after a thorough screening, for the list of players for the 2017/2018 season.
The statement went further to disclose that the club’s management had woken up to the realities of its team playing in the NNL next season.
“We will do everything possible to return to the NPFL within the shortest period.
“The evaluation of the team however continues, and fans will see a better and improved Shooting Stars next season,” it said.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.