Akin Akinbobola, former President of Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens Football Clubs, has attributed the recent relegation of both teams to poor funding and mismanagement by the state government.
Akinbobola made this known on Wednesday in Akure during a news conference reflecting on the season of Sunshine Stars Football Club (FC) and the decline of sporting activities in the state.
According to Akinbobola, the management of Sunshine Stars FC is currently not professional, and he urged the state government to prioritise the sports sector and the welfare of athletes.
“To the best of my knowledge, that place is not well-managed. Mediocrity has crept into the very breadth of that place,” he said. “How can you put a carpenter to go and become head of hospital management board? How can you put a medical doctor to go and be chairman Judiciary Commission? It cannot work.”
He emphasised that the right people should be placed in the right positions for things to function effectively. He added, “Football can generate plenty of money and create employment for our youths if taken seriously.”
Akinbobola further criticised the practice of using football or sports appointments for political favours, which he claimed has paved the way for mediocrity in sports management.
“Sycophancy has paved the way for the promotion of mediocrity in the administration of sports,” he said. “When loyalty is valued above competence, critical voices are silenced, and capable hands are sidelined, resulting in poor leadership, mismanagement, and a steady decline in performance.”
The former chairman of Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA) urged the state government to set up a committee of credible and experienced football administrators to ensure Sunshine Stars FC’s return to the topflight next season.
“Those saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that Sunshine Stars escaped relegation should be probed on how the funds made available to them were mismanaged,” he said. “With the right leadership, the club will bounce back to the elite league, but the governor should not entrust the people’s heritage in the hands of foreigners.”
Akinbobola also called for the establishment of a sports commission, stressing that it is the only way to revive the struggling sector.
In the same vein, Emmanuel Oduyi, former Chairman of Sunshine Stars FC Supporters Club, urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to complete the stadium project urgently.
“We have gone on relegation before in 2003, and we came back to the premier league. This time around, we don’t want politicians in the administration of our football. We want seasoned administrators from our state, not outsiders,” Oduyi said.
Similarly, Daniel Udoh, a former player of Sunshine Stars FC, said that every effort must be made to bring the club back, with a capable administrator leading the charge.
(NAN)