By Edidiong STEPHEN
After contrasting starts to the season, Dakkada and Sunshine Stars will face off in one of nine matches scheduled for Match Day Six of the NPFL this Sunday.
Fuad Ekelejuoti scored with virtually the last kick of the encounter to cancel out a first-half strike by Femi Ajayi and deny Dakkada an away victory in an entertaining 1-1 draw on the occasion of the only previous top-flight meeting between these sides on December 29, 2019.
Dakkada who appear to have hit a bit of a sticky patch at the moment after their rather momentous start to the season were left completely disillusioned after a late penalty was awarded to Lobi Stars for an infringement that appeared on video replays to have been committed outside the box through which Austin Ogunye scored to gift Lobi a 2-1 home win last Sunday.
But racking up just one point from the last six available means that these are parlous times for the Chosen Ones and Chief Coach Lawrence Kingsley would know that something has to be done to immediately halt the negative trend.
Available records tell tales of Dakkada’s incessant goal-scoring exploits. The Uyo-based side have scored at least a goal in all of their matches since a goalless draw at Akwa United on the opening day of the season and bookmakers will slash the odds on that trend continuing today.
Leading scorer Sadeeq Yusuf who has scored his two goals this term in the last two minutes of matches struck again with a stoppage-time header to earn Sunshine Stars victory over Warri Wolves in Akure last Sunday – their second win of the campaign.
Although Sunshine Stars are two points better off at this point of the season than they were last term but boss Gbenga Ogunbote would be particularly worried about the barren return of his side on their travels. The Akure Gunners have yet to bag a point or score a goal on their away trips this campaign. In point of fact, you will have to go as far back as February 16, 2020 for the last time Sunshine Stars found the back of the net in an NPFL away match – a 3-1 loss at FC Ifeanyi Ubah.
Despite finding goals like gold dust, the southwestern outfit have also been leaky at the back and that haemorrhage has seen them keep just two clean sheets in 14 NPFL away matches stretching back to the start of last season with a somewhat grim return of 8 points from a possible 52.
As events unfold at the Nest of Champions tomorrow, rather than revel in its warmth and light reality suggests that the cloud of Dakkada’s ravenous appetite for victory will break Sunshine.
Kick-off in Uyo is at four o’clock in the afternoon while live text updates and video highlights will be available on all social media handles of Dakkada FC.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Sunshine Stars 1-1 Dakkada (29/12/2019)
LATEST RESULTS
Lobi Stars 2-1 Dakkada
Sunshine Stars 1-0 Warri Wolves
Dakkada 1-1 MFM
Sunshine Stars 2-2 Lobi Stars
FCIU 0-1 Dakkada
MFM 1-0 Sunshine Stars
Dakkada 2-1 Jigawa GS
Sunshine Stars 1-0 FCIU
Akwa United 0-0 Dakkada
Jigawa GS 1-0 Sunshine Stars
NEXT FIVE FIXTURES
Dakkada Vs Warri Wolves
Sunshine Stars Vs Rangers
Rangers Vs Dakkada
Abia Warriors Vs Sunshine Stars
Dakkada Vs Abia Warriors
Sunshine Stars Vs Kwara United
Kwara United Vs Dakkada
Wikki Tourists Vs Sunshine Stars
Dakkada Vs Wikki Tourists
Sunshine Stars Vs Heartland
