4 January 2026
“It takes a whole village to raise a child.”
That timeless African proverb comes sharply to mind today as Sunshine Stars FC cries out for collective intervention. The club’s current distress is no longer subtle; its wailing is loud, public, and impossible to ignore.
The team’s most recent match was not just another disappointing result—it was a clear alarm bell. Sunshine Stars is edging dangerously close to the cliff that leads into the National League, a footballing abyss where many clubs have fallen and never truly recovered. History shows that relegation is not merely a sporting setback; it is often the beginning of prolonged institutional decay.
For a club that once played expressive, confident football and proudly represented Ondo State on the continental stage, this steady slide is both painful and perplexing—especially in a state blessed with an abundance of football minds, former players, administrators, and enthusiasts.
When respected voices such as Otunba Ologbese publicly call on specific stakeholders to step in and help rescue this faltering club, such appeals should not be treated lightly or defensively.
The task before all concerned is simple but demanding: revive Sunshine Stars without resorting to anti-football practices, moral shortcuts, or self-serving opportunism.
Success in football, as in life, is rooted in planning, structure, and integrity. Where planning is corrupted by pranks, politics, or opportunists seeking daily survival rather than long-term growth, failure becomes inevitable. It would be unfair—and intellectually lazy—to place all responsibility at the doorstep of the state government. Even when funds are provided, incompetence and poor decision-making at the operational level will always translate into poor results on the pitch.
Reports suggest that government representatives are willing to listen. However, goodwill alone is insufficient if those entrusted with day-to-day football decisions shield the truth, resist scrutiny, and interpret every constructive suggestion as hostility. Sunshine Stars is bigger than any clique, faction, or political arrangement. It is not a feeding trough for the politically connected; it is a public sporting institution with history, identity, and responsibility.
If the technical crew is found wanting, then decisive action must be taken. Replace incompetence with competence. Appoint coaches who are tactically sound, professionally motivated, and properly supported.
Clear all outstanding obligations—players, officials, support staff, and service providers. Fulfil statutory responsibilities to the Football Association and respect the structures that govern the game.
Strengthen the team’s tactical intelligence, analysis, and match-preparation units.
Above all, abandon the lazy and dangerous mentality that “referees must help us.” That mindset has ruined many clubs and exposed the intellectual poverty of some half-prepared coaches.
Sunshine Stars must win on merit, organisation, and preparation—not hope, prayer warriors, or conspiracy theories.
This is the moment for leadership. The state government should urgently convene a frank, inclusive meeting—physical or virtual—focused solely on solutions. Politics must be left at the door. Ego must give way to expertise. Monopoly of control by any clueless body must end.
The upcoming home fixture presents an opportunity. A properly motivated Sunshine Stars, playing with clarity and purpose, can secure victory against an opponent that has historically troubled the club both home and away.
A win in that match could mark the beginning of recovery—and perhaps rekindle the willingness of credible stakeholders, already identified in earlier calls, to rally around the club once again.
Kasali D Obanoyen
Owo, Ondo State.
