Sundowns whitewash NPFL champions, Remo Stars 5-1

Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Remo Stars, were brought down to earth, yesterday, by South African side, Mamelodi Sundowns, who defeated the Bet9ja boys 5-1 at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.

Fans of the Ikenne-based side knew that the tie, the first leg of their second round CAF Champions League preliminary game, would be a tough job, but they were not prepared for the manner their team was dismantled on their home ground.

The game drew fans from Lagos, Ikenne and as far as Benin and other cities because of the promise it held for top football-loving Nigerians, and it lived up to the billing.

However, the match was barely 10 minutes old when Tashreeq Matthews put the South Africans ahead with a powerful volley from outside the box to quieten the fans, who had been using their voices to push the Nigerian side forward.

After that shock, Remo Stars tried to regroup with Mbaoma and Goita leading the charge. But they met a well-knit Sundowns side, which held on to the midfield and frustrated all that Remo Stars threw at them.

When many were getting ready for the break to see if the Nigerian champions would come up with a new strategy to unlock Sundowns in the second round, the South African added to the score with Shalulile making it 2-0 as the half came to an end.

The second half did not deviate from the early pattern set by Mamelodi Sundowns as they soon made scores 3-0 to the chagrin of the Abeokuta crowd.
Remo Stars got one back in the 76th minute, but the South Africans quickly added two more goals to make scores 5-1 and the second leg next week in Johannesburg a mere formality.

Nigeria’s second representative in the championship, Rivers United have a better chance of making the group stage of the competition after suffering a close 0-1 defeat to Black Bulls of Mozambique in Maputo, on Saturday.

The Finidi George led side need only a 2-0 win in Uyo next week to make the group stage of the championship Nigeria last won in 2004 through Enyimba of Aba.

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