Sunshine Stars, who are winless in the opening two matches of the NPFL championship round, will look for their first win when they go one-on-one against leaders Enyimba on Friday at 19:00 GMT.
With an opening loss and a draw, Sunshine Stars are level on one point at the bottom of the group with Lobi Stars after the opening two outings. They will look for a shock win against leaders Enyimba on Friday as they bid to kickstart their championship campaign in the NPFL.
Enyimba have started the championship round strongly with four points out of the available six in the opening two rounds of fixtures of the championship NPFL round. They will look to press home their advantage at the top with another win when they face Sunshine Stars on Friday.
Key Highlights
Sunshine Stars Poor Start to the Championship Round
Sunshine opened their account in the championship round with a 0-1 loss to Rivers United. The 63rd-minute penalty dispatched by Edube Duru was enough to hand Rivers all three points and Sunshine their first loss.
The second match against Bendel ended in a 1-1 draw, with each side taking a point. Bendel took the lead in the 7th minute through Divine Nwachukwu, but Sunshine fought back and grabbed the equalizer in the 62nd minute via an Ekerette Anthony Udom strike.
Sunshine Stars need to take the next step and start winning matches in the NPFL championship round if they are to stand a chance of challenging for the title.
Starting with Friday’s clash against Enyimba, Sunshine stars will have an opportunity to make a strong statement of intent with a win over the early pacesetters at the top of the table.
Enyimba’s Strong Start to the Championship Round
Enyimba opened their account in the championship round with a strong 2-2 draw against Remo Stars. They had the game sealed when a penalty dispatched by Chukwuemeka Obioma in the 81st minute gave them a 2-1 lead.
Bet here
This lead was presented until the 93rd minute when Remo Stars’ Nduka Junior grabbed an equalizer, denying Enyimba the three points.
However, on Monday, Enyimba followed this point up with all three in the clash against Lobi Stars. Chukwuemeka Obioma was again at hand with a 16th-minute goal that was enough to see Enyimba prevail 0-1 and take all three points on offer.
Enyimba will look to make it two consecutive wins in the NPFL championship round when they clash with Sunshine Stars on Friday.
Injury Report
Sunshine Stars
Sunshine Stars’ injury problems have cleared up just in time for the championship round of the NPFL season. They will be able to make use of the full matchday squad ahead of their clash with leaders Enyimba on Friday.
Enyimba
Enyimba have had good news regarding the fitness of their squad in the build-up to Friday’s clash with Sunshine Stars. Although the Monday-to-Friday matchdays turnover is sharp, the manager will use the full complement of the squad to rotate and ensure the team is fresh.
Possible Lineups
Sunshine Stars
J. Opubo; S. Olulayo, K. A. Adeyemi, L. M. Oladipupo, O. Abe; A. Wande, S. Olasupo, V. Temitope; L. Emmanuel, A. Alaba; F. Maichibi
Enyimba
O. Ojo; A. Adeleke, O. Adegbola, I. Obot, P. Eze; F. Abdullahi, S. Guera, C. Obasi, A. Eriugo; C. Obioma, C. Esobe
Prediction
Sunshine will be under pressure for most of the game; they will look to be solid and compact against a good Enyimba side.
Enyimba will focus on attacking spaces and using the inside channels with their passing. They will be proactive and play on the front foot.
Enyimba will win the match and bolster their position at the top of the table early in the championship round.
Make sure to bet on Sunshine Stars vs Enyimba with 22Bet!
Bet here