Sunshine stun JSK in Algiers
30 Jul 2011 13:19:53
Confederation Cup debutants Sunshine Stars of
Nigeria, upset the apple cart on Friday night when
they defeated their more illustrious Algerian
opponents, JS Kabylie 2-1 at the Stade du 5 Juillet
in Algiers.
Playing without three key players in Ibrahim
Ajani, Ukeyima Akombo and cup-tied
Cameroonian midfielder, Medrano Tamen, coach
Gbenga Ogunbote’s men had to claw their way
from a goal down to take all points in this feisty
encounter.
Goals from Sunday Emmanuel and Atanda
Sakibu ensured that the Nigerians kept their 100
per cent start in the competition after the
Algerians had shot into the lead through Salim
Hanifi.
The Algerians got off to a fine start when Lamara
Douicher’s tackle ended a Sunshine Stars’ attack
on 16 minutes that lead to the opening goal.
Saad Tedjar’s shot was blocked in the counter-
attack that resulted into a corner kick from which
Hanifi smashed home on 18 minutes to hand the
hosts a one-goal lead.
JS Kabylie stepped on the brakes after that goal
and nearly got a second when striker Sofiane
Younes was played through on goal with just
Sunshine Stars; goalkeeper, Moses Ocheje to beat
on 24 minutes.
But Younes failed to hit target on that occasion
and the Nigerians were left off the hook.
On 36 minutes, Emmanuel’s effort slipped
through the hands of JS Kabylie’s 25-year-old
keeper, Malik Asselah, to level the game at 1 – 1.
Attempts by Hamza Boulemdais and Tedjar to
put the Algerians back in front met stern
resistance from the Sunshine Stars back four of
Ofem Inah, Precious Osasco, Alaba Osawe and
Godfrey Oboabona.
Four minutes into the restart, right-back Inah
came close to scoring after squeezing past the JS
Kabylie defence but his effort at goal went
agonisingly wide.
Tedjar and Boulemdais combined well in the 53rd
minute but the latter’s hooked strike did not
connect goal.
And four minutes later, Sunshine Stars were
nearly made to pay for leaving Hanifi unmarked
when he nodded wide from a corner kick off
Tedjar’s boot.
However, it was Sunshine Stars that would grab
the winning goal just 14 minutes to time through
Sakibu’s strike.
The former Enyimba man received the ball at the
edge of JS Kabylie’s goal area and whipped it past
Asselah to earn his side a big win in Algiers.
Tedjar, who had been in the centre of almost
every move by the Algerians sprung to life and
centred a long ball for Hocine El Orfi at the far
post but the attempt at goal passed by.
JS Kabylie’s playmaker on the night, Tedjar,
nearly got on the score sheet through a volley
from Hamza Ziad’s free kick but Ocheje threw
himself at the ball to block the goal-bound move
and kept Sunshine Stars' lead intact.
The Algerians last real chance came in the second
minute of the three added minutes when Ziad
could only watch as his shot flew wide after great
work from Chemseddine Nessakh on the right
channel of JS Kabylie’s attack.
The result leaves Sunshine Stars top of their
group since DC Motema Pembe of DR Congo and
Maghreb de Fes of Morocco did not win their
opening games.
The Nigerian side now have six points from their
opening two games.