The hope of Remo Stars making it to their promised land —the group stage of the CAF Champions League was quashed with an unbelievable, yet, embarrassing defeat to South African side, Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the 2025/2026 season at the Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola Sports Arena, Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Mamelodi Sundowns were ruthless and showed no mercy as they went on to spank their opponents 5-1 in front of their home crowd, numbering 8,000. Beyond beating Remo Stars, Mamelodi Sundowns would be excited that they can prove a point to Nigerians who had thought that the qualification to the World Cup of a team that houses more than five of their players wasn’t an accident
Build up to the Game
Remo Stars had won the Nigerian Premier Football League for the first time in its 11-year history, a feat many football stakeholders in the country praised to the high heavens after considering the huge investment that the team had made and how the management had been able to get arguably the best legs in the league together, to the team. The team went into the end of the 2024/2025 season with more confidence to do better than previous years where they had failed to go beyond the first preliminary round, but by virtue of emerging champions, the team, fans, management and other stakeholders were all hopeful the team would go far this season.
Some dust of fear was, however, shattered in the air when the draws were made and the Nigerian champions were to face Mamelodi Sundowns —a team that has just returned from the FIFA Club World Cup with relatively good results to show off. But being what it is, football sometimes comes out in another form, surprising all and sundry. This one would say was what Remo Stars rode on to face their South African counterparts. Additionally, Sundowns have had it difficult against Nigerian teams in the last couple of years —against Julius Berger, Enyimba International and Lobi Stars Football Club —made Remo Stars go into the match on a confident level; as a matter of fact, the fans had boasted before the game about how Sundowns were beaten 2-0 at the same stadium in 2001 by Julius Berger.
For Sundowns, since what many of their fans would describe as an inconsequential defeat to Lobi Stars in 2009, the team has gone from strength to might, emerging champions in 2016 and runners-up, the real baptism every warrior experiences on the battlefield. They had come to Abeokuta on the bounce of the Club World Cup where they met better sides and had acquired enough experience and power to beat Remo Stars —but no one had expected the deafening attitude that made them humiliate their opponents in the presence of their fans —who literally begged for mercy from the Brazilians, to stop the bashing.
The Game
The fans had barely settled down to enjoy what was going to be a very interesting game, when Tashreeq Matthews got a fine pass from the right side of his team’s attack, composed himself to take out a marker and latched home to the overreach of the goalkeeper, Obassa.
Three minutes left to play, Remo Stars had the opportunity of levelling up after Sundowns goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams had missed his pass to fall the way of Samson Olasupo, but the homers’ captain played it higher off goal. Ronwen repeated his trick, and this time, it fell to the foot of Peter Shalulile, who made no error in slotting it past goalkeeper Obassa for the second goal.
Beyond the goals, Remo Stars were hopeless and gasping for breath, with the fans in the stand begging for mercy from their visitors who had left their team dazed all through the first half with no response to questions asked by the South Africans who feasted on the timidity of the players, lack of composure and the team’s bonding which left many spaces openned for the opponents to walk through.
The second half, though, must be played; the fans would have wished it wouldn’t.
Ngege’s failure to track down his ball gave Sundowns the room to punish Remo Stars again in the 61st minute. Portuguese Miguel Reisinho calmly controlled his run, held his ball at the far end of Remo’s goal, rounded the goalkeeper a bit before slotting home to make it 3. He saw the tears of the fans, heard their agony and their plea from the stand —this is too much for us, please let it stop ” —but while jubilating towards the East-North of Remo’s goal, the 26-year-old who had a debut to forget for Sundowns, blocked his ears, further telling the fans there would be no way out for their team on that Sunday night turned Sadday for the hosts.
Just as the fans looked dejected and had hoped the routing would end, Brazilian forward, Arthur Sales made the 4 in the 74th minute after Mokoena had initiated a swift ball stealing attacking move that saw 7 touches from the point of stealing the ball in the half field to the point of scoring —he celebrated with one-step backflip before his teammates joined him in celebration.
Two minutes later, Samson Olasupo pulled one back for Remo Stars —the goal was similar to their opponents but this time, 8 passes from a stealing point to the finishing. One would not fancy any chances of coming back with just 13 minutes left to play in the game.
Tsiki Ntsabeleng would further dash the hope of Remo Stars coming back into the game in any fashion with a clinical finish that left all Remo Stars players missing in their duty posts. It was Ronwen Williams who started another 8-pass initiative again with a midfield splitting pass that found a huge gap in Remo’s defence until the South African player slotted home from 8 yards.
Post Match
Remo Stars would go to South Africa in the coming days and, despite the humiliation in the presence of their fans, would aim at a comeback that would shock the football world.
REMOntada will be at the back of the Sky Blues as they embark on their journey to South Africa for the return leg —can they pull the unpulled string?