Shooting Stars Sports Club, Ibadan have denied allegations of match fixing made by a radio presenter, Sola Aiyegbajeje, during a sports programme on Prince FM, Ibadan.

In a press statement issued by the club’s media officer, Tosin Omojola, the management described the accusations as “baseless, barbaric and unfounded,” and demanded that the presenter provide concrete evidence or face legal action.

The controversy began when Aiyegbajeje alleged during his broadcast that Shooting Stars deliberately lost or threw several games in the NPFL, including matches against Katsina United, Lobi Stars and Remo Stars.

He claimed the club sold out its match against Lobi Stars and referenced an alleged 2-2 draw against Katsina United in which Shooting Stars supposedly surrendered a two-goal lead. “They sold the match against Lobi Stars, they sold the one against Katsina United. If you remember, they were leading by two goals before Katsina United came back to level it 2-2,” Aiyegbajeje said.

However, Shooting Stars dismissed the claim, clarifying that the fixture against Katsina United ended in a 1-0 loss and not a draw. “In the first instance, our game against Katsina United ended in a 1-0 victory in favour of Katsina United and not 2-2 as the presenter claimed during the programme,” the club noted.

Aiyegbajeje also accused 3SC chairman, Honourable Babatunde Olaniyan ‘Akoro’, of allegedly offering money to match officials. He further suggested insider knowledge, claiming a whistleblower told him players were paid to throw matches and that match officials favoured the club based on secret agreements.

“A supporter said he overheard players on the field saying ‘the time is now, don’t forget our arrangement’. That supporter used every chance to favour Shooting Stars,” he said.

The club reacted strongly to these allegations, stressing that no one affiliated with them had granted any interview to the station. “We totally frowned on the unprofessional outburst of the presenter, making references to the matches, our players as well as other individuals,” the statement read.

Shooting also questioned the source of the presenter’s claims. “We wonder how the presenter came up with his reports that our chairman offered match officials money during some of our games,” Omojola added.

While acknowledging recent setbacks on the pitch, the club reassured supporters that it remains committed to transparency and good conduct. “We will never indulge in any act that can tarnish the image of the club or bring the game into disrepute,” the statement read.

The Ibadan-based club vowed to pursue legal action if the allegations are not substantiated. “We hereby demand concrete evidence from the presenter to back up his claims; failure in which we will not hesitate to take a legal action against him and the radio station,” the statement concluded.

Shooting Stars are currently in the lower half of the NPFL table and face mounting pressure as the season approaches its conclusion.

Credit: punchng.com

Shooting Stars Deny Match Fixing Allegations as Baseless Smear

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