A home win is expected from this fixture if the league table is anything to judge by. The Sunshine Stars fans are optimistic that the difference between 5th and Abia Warriors's 16th place in the table will show on the pitch.
This should be an interesting game with lots of spark and energy as both teams are well rested since they last saw competitive action. Game on!
One slightly interesting match fact is that this game is played on artifical turf and that the visiting Abia Warriors have a different surface at their stadium (grass). The impact of this is hard to measure exactly, but the visitors stats on artifical turf is 1-1-10 (win-draw-loss) from twelve matches.
Sunshine Stars form and stats
23 points is a decent return from 11 Npfl games here at Akure Township Stadium for Sunshine Stars. The data says 6 wins, 5 draws and 0 losses. In general it's been a long time since Sunshine Stars tasted defeat here at Akure Township Stadium, as they have taken at least one point from their last eleven home games in the league.
U. Ihuarulam was the last player to score a league goal for Sunshine Stars and it's becoming a more and more distant memory as Sunshine Stars haven't scored in 247 minutes.
In their previous game, the manager G. Ogunbote led his Sunshine Stars to a defeat in the Npfl match away at Warri Wolves. The manager is hoping to put things right immediately here at Akure Township Stadium. In the match before that, Sunshine Stars hosted Enugu Rangers and drew the game 0-0.
Sunshine Stars have proved capable of finding the net in their games here at Akure Township Stadium with 17 goals in 11 league matches. From these home matches, Sunshine Stars have conceded only 8 goals.
Abia Warriors form and stats
The hunting on away grounds haven’t been very fruitful for Abia Warriors so far with only 3 points returning home. The records show 0-3-8 (win-draw-lose). The loyal fans travelling with their beloved Abia Warriors have enjoyed the stadium food more than the matches as the visitors have gone eleven consecutive matches without winning on the road. The last time three points were secured away was the Akwa United game.
Abia Warriors go into this game after a win, the home game against Akwa United that ended 2-1.
There's been a serious shortage of goals from Abia Warriors's away games in the league this season with only 4 goals from 11 matches. Abia Warriors have conceded 15 goals in these away matches.
Head 2 Head
These teams' last encounter with each other was the Abia Warriors - Sunshine Stars 1-1 earlier this season. Last nine meetings between the teams: Sunshine Stars won four, Abia Warriors won two and three draws. three games with over 2,5 goals, six matches with two goals or less.Sunshine Stars missing players
Abia Warriors missing players
| Sunshine Stars | Abia Warriors | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 22 | 11 | 3 | Played | P | 3 | 11 | 22 |
| 8 | 6 | 2 | Won | W | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 7 | 5 | 1 | Drew | D | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | Lost | L | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| 25 | 17 | 7 | Scored | S | 0 | 4 | 20 |
| 24 | 8 | 3 | Conceded | C | 1 | 15 | 24 |
| 91% | 91% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 33% | 82% | 86% |
| 73% | 73% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 0% | 45% | 59% |
| 36% | 27% | 33% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 0% | 27% | 36% |
| 14% | 18% | 33% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 0% | 18% | 14% |
| 5% | 9% | 33% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 0% | 5% |
| 45% | 55% | 67% | BTTS | BTTS | 0% | 36% | 45% |
| 32% | 45% | 33% | Clean Sheets | C S | 67% | 18% | 32% |
| 32% | 9% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 100% | 64% | 36% |
| 4.1 | 7.2 | 8 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 1.5 | 3.4 | 4 |
| 3.9 | 2.2 | 2.3 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 2.5 | 4 | 3.7 |
| 2.2 | 2.2 | 2 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 141 | 66 | 30 | Total Shots | T S | 4 | 45 | 141 |
| 57 | 26 | 14 | Shots on Target | S O | 1 | 18 | 49 |
| 32% | 38% | 50% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 0% | 22% | 37% |
- Abia Warriors have conceded at least twice as many goals as they have scored away.
- Abia Warriors have yet to win a game away.
- Sunshine Stars has the most scored goals in the first half (15)
- Sunshine Stars have not yet lost a game at home.
- Sunshine Stars have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded at home.
- Sunshine Stars have scored at least twice as many goals at home as Abia Warriors have scored away.
- Sunshine Stars have won at least twice as many corners as they have conceded at home.
- Sunshine Stars have won significantly more corners at home than away.
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Plateau United | 22 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 31 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 40 |
| 2 | Rivers United | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 39 |
| 3 | Lobi Stars | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 39 |
| 4 | Akwa United | 23 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 22 | 21 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 33 |
| 5 | Sunshine Stars | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 25 | 24 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 31 |
| 6 | Akwa Starlets | 23 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 31 |
| 7 | Kano Pillars | 21 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 23 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 30 |
| 8 | Enyimba | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 25 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 5 | 30 |
| 9 | Ifeanyi Uba | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 23 | 25 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 23 | -2 | 30 |
| 10 | Katsina United | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 14 | -4 | 30 |
| 11 | Heartland | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 29 |
| 12 | Delta Force | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -5 | 19 |
| 12 | Wikki Tourist | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 | 22 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 28 |
| 13 | Warri Wolves | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 2 | 27 |
| 14 | Enugu Rangers | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 27 |
| 15 | MFM | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 27 |
| 16 | Abia Warriors | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 15 | -4 | 27 |
| 17 | Nasarawa United | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 23 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 16 | -2 | 25 |
| 18 | Kwara United | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 29 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 21 | -9 | 25 |
| 19 | Jigawa Golden Stars | 22 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 21 | 31 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 22 | -10 | 23 |
| 20 | Adamawa United | 22 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 42 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 32 | -26 | 20 |