Sunshine Stars Head Coach, Gbenga Ogunbote, has admitted that his team needs more experienced players as the mid-season transfer window opens in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
A 55th-minute goal by Samson Obi earned Enyimba a 1-0 win over Sunshine Stars on Monday, and the result plunged the Owena Whales to a new low of ten league matches without a win – the club’s worst run in the topflight history.
Ogunbote, who is enduring a torrid start to his second stint as the club’s head coach, had on repeated occasions acknowledged the not too impressive quality of players in his team while hoping for some business during the mid season.
And speaking after the defeat to eight-time league champions in Agege, the former Lobi Stars head coach further did little to downplay the need for transfers.
“One thing is normal when you play five or six games without a win, your confidence level must drop. And you can see our team is not a mature team that can soak such pressure.
“But it is not all over yet. All we need to do is to salvage the team to maintain our status in the NPFL, and if we have to do that we need about six quality players.
“There are no two ways about this. The team needs to be beefed up. That is just the gospel truth. We should not be expecting transfers this mid season, it is mandatory.
“We are not a bad side but we still need a few quality players to join us,” he told www.npfl.ng.
The Akure-based club was recently directed to play two home games in Lagos which started with the home game against Enyimba.
But Ogunbote refused to reference this as a disadvantage, “We should be ready to play anywhere. All we just need is a level playing ground like we have seen today (against Enyimba),” he said.
The Owena Whales will next face Rivers United in a Matchday 18 fixture in Port Harcourt.
