Ogunmodede led Remo Stars to a third-place last season, behind champions Rivers United and runners-up Plateau United.
Coach of Remo Stars Daniel Ogunmodede has stated confidently that his side are not ready to disappoint their fans as they open their 2023 NPFL campaign at home on Sunday.
The Sky Blue Stars welcome promoted El-Kanemi Warriors on Sunday to the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, in what will serve as the first match of the season for both teams.
Drawn into Group A of the abridged 2023 season, both Remo Stars and their visitors El-Kanemi Warriors will be looking to start their campaign with a win and set the course for a path to the Super 6 playoff later in the year.
Remo Stars working extremely hard
Speaking in a pre-match interview ahead of their first league game in almost six months, Ogunmodede revealed that his team were over-excited, comparing them to 'babies expecting Christmas.'
"The situation has been one of a baby expecting Christmas," the 42-year-old said, "We've been over-excited that Sunday is our December 25. We're over-prepared for it."
"The boys are working tremendously hard, having a game on Sunday is a delight for us and we're ready for the battle."
El-Kanemi will not pull a Bendel Insurance in Ikenne
Last Sunday, the first game of the 2023 NPFL season saw first-half goals from Imade Osarenkhoe and Ismael Seriki, help promoted Bendel Insurance to defeat 2021 champions Akwa United on their home ground.
Reacting to a question about the possibility of promoted El-Kanemi Warriors snatching an away win in Ikenne, the Remo Stars manager shrugged off the idea that both games held similar identities.
"That was in Uyo," Ogunmodede said about Bendel Insurance's victory, "Our match is in Ikenne, they are two different venues and two different matches, and happening in two different weeks.
"In my experience, there can never be two same matches. Every moment is different. What happened in Akwa [Uyo] is different. Don't also forget El-Kanemi is from the North, and Bendel Insurance are not."
"Truly, it should be a tonic for us not to show complacency on Sunday, but for us, there is no small or big match."
"Nobody is going to ask who you fought with, people are only interested in the result of the game. Secondly, we are not ready to disappoint our fans and spectators after a long time of showing them what we've got," he concluded.
Remo Stars will hope to go better than their achievement last season, having finished third behind champions Rivers United and second-placed Plateau United.
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