Remo Stars Football Club (RSFC) go toe-to-toe with Lobi Stars Football Club at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi, Benue State in match day 14 of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
The Sky Blue Stars head into the contest with a back-to-back loss against Gombe United and former NPFL champions, Akwa United on Sunday and Wednesday respectively.
Remo Stars are fourth on the log table with 23points while Lobi Stars are 13th on the table, 7 points behind the Sky Blue Stars who are seeking to return to winning ways.
Lobi Stars lost 1-0 to Heartland on Wednesday through Nnamdi Egbujuo 71st minute goal after he connected well to Nonso Nzediegwe’s pass to slot home.
Both sides have met four times in the NPFL, twice in 2017 and twice in 2019, Lobi Stars had the best of Remo Stars twice and played a draw twice.
In 2017, Remo Stars and Lobi Stars played out a 1-1 draw at the Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu. Victor Mbaoma put the Sky Blue Stars in front of the 14th minute before Kingsley Eduwo leveled up for the Ortom Boys in the 50th minute.
In the reverse fixture, Lobi Stars defeated Remo Stars 3-2 at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi after Victor Chidume’s 13th minute goal canceled out Anthony Okputu’s strike in the ninth minute, before halftime Kingsley Eduwo put Lobi Stars in front again in the 38th minute, again Ekene Awazie leveled up in the 68th minute before Uchenna Eze gave them all three points seven minutes to the end of the game.
Almost same thing happened in 2019 as the Sky Blue Stars visited the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi first as Sunday Williams’ 23rd minute strike cancelled out Yaya Kone’s 14th minute lead, in the closing minutes of the game, Yaya Kone gave the host maximum points against the Sky Blue Stars.
The reverse fixture saw both sides play out a 0-0 draw at the Gateway International Stadium in Sagamu.
Lobi Stars have garnered four points in their last five games and have drawn against Niger Tornadoes in Makurdi, the Sky Blue Stars on the other hand have five points from their last five games, they have lost one and drawn one from their last two away games.
The Sky Blue Stars should be careful of former defender, Ganda Samuel who is good at pulling out crosses from his left wing back position, Solomon Kwambe who has spent over six years with the club alongside Achiv Douglas, Barnabas Imenger and Austine Ogunye.
Lobi Stars would have to contain mercurial midfielder, Dayo Ojo, Ifegwu Ojukwu, Sikiru Kamal, Adebayo Abayomi, Andy Okpe, Abdullahi Oyedele and Kayode Bankole who currently have the highest number of clean sheets in the ongoing NPFL.
The Sky Blue Stars need a win to return to winning ways, a draw is still a fair result but a loss won’t be acceptable from the club, while Lobi Stars need the maximum points to keep their dominance over the visitors.
