By Femi Atolagbe
Sunshine Stars FC of Akure suffered a 2–0 defeat to FC Ebedei in their Group A Matchday One fixture of the 2025 Gold Cup Pre-Season Tournament, played at the FC Ebedei Stadium in Sagamu, Ogun State.
The Akure-based side, who have won the Gold Cup twice in the past, were stunned early as Joseph Okuaghaare opened the scoring for the hosts, before Kennedy John converted from the penalty spot to double the lead with both goals coming in the first half.
Despite being reduced to ten men, Sunshine Stars showed resilience and tactical improvement after the break, but failed to find a breakthrough.
Reacting to the result, FC Ebedei’s General Manager and coach, Fredrick Oliseh, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, stressing the importance of maintaining focus and building on their strong start.
In his response, Sunshine Stars’ head coach, Bobola Akinfolarin, described the tournament as a valuable platform to assess his players ahead of the forthcoming Nigeria National League (NNL) season.
He assured supporters that the team would regroup and fight for qualification from what has been dubbed the “Group of Death.”
Sunshine Stars will face Greenlock FC in their next group match on Sunday, at the same venue — the FC Ebedei Stadium, Sagamu.