Remo Stars head coach, Daniel Ogunmodede, has cautioned his players that the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title race is far from over, despite their commanding position at the top of the table, Soccernet.football reports.
The Sky Blue Stars have been in outstanding form since the start of the second half of the season, winning six consecutive matches to open up an eight-point lead over second-placed Shooting Stars.
However, Ogunmodede has urged his squad to maintain their consistency as they chase a historic first-ever NPFL title.
The club’s latest victory, a 2-1 win over Kano Pillars on Sunday, took them to 48 points from 23 matches. But the Super Eagles assistant coach is keen to keep his players grounded ahead of a crucial run-in.
Speaking after the hard-fought victory, Super Eagles assistant coach Ogunmodede admitted his team did not play to their best but praised their fighting spirit while reminding them that the job is not done yet.
“It’s not a very good day for us, but to be champions, some days will be like this, and the most important thing is having the spirit to conquer,” Ogunmodede said. “We didn’t play to our best, but we have the maximum points, which is what is important to our cause.
“It’s one of those things—some of the players have this belief that we are there already, but we are not. We have learnt a lot of lessons in our last three games. But I must salute their courage too; they fought hard.”
Remo Stars have finished as runners-up in the past two NPFL seasons but are now showing the resilience and quality required to go all the way. They remain unbeaten in their last eight matches and have recorded 15 wins so far, including four victories away from home.
Remo Stars will now turn their attention to a crucial clash against defending champions Enugu Rangers on Sunday. Ogunmodede, however, is unfazed by the challenge, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of football.
“No game is difficult, and no game is simple before we play it. It only depends on what we come across during the game itself,” he explained. “Some games you preempt are going to be difficult, but they come out cheap. Some games you think are going to be cheap, they become so difficult.
“A moment in the game can be a decider of the result, and that was what happened in this match (against Kano Pillars). It really doesn’t matter the team we are playing against; a key moment in the game is what counts. All we’ll do is to prepare as a team, and we just hope we’ll get it right.”
Remo Stars: A historic title in sight?
Founded in 2004 as FC Dender by Kunle Soname, Remo Stars have never won the NPFL title. The club first gained promotion to the Nigerian top flight in 2016 but faced relegation in 2018. They returned to the NPFL in 2021 after securing promotion through the Nigeria National League (NNL) playoffs.
Now, with 23 matches played, Remo Stars sit eight points ahead of Shooting Stars—who have a game in hand—and ten clear of Rivers United, managed by George Finidi. Should they go on to lift the title, they would become the first privately owned club since Ocean Boys in 2006 to win the NPFL crown.