For the first time in almost two decades, Katsina United and Shooting Stars are meeting in one of the Week Nine ties of the Nigerian Professional Football League.
As such, this fixture is bringing a lot of nostalgic feelings to the fans of the two sides considering their previous meetings and its trappings.
It would be recalled Katsina United had played itself into the finals of the Challenge Cup in 1995 and set to win it to cap their successful runs that year but a brace of goals from the then hotshot, Edith Agoye of the Shooting Stars had put paid to their daring ambition.
The league cup triumph that year was Shooting’s last so far in the FA cup! However, Katsina United literarily got its pounds of flesh in 1999 beating Shooting Stars 2-0 in the second leg of a league game in Katsina to confirm the Oluyole Warriors relegation, (even as defending Champions) to the lower division!
The parades of star players like Duke Udi, Peter Obanor, Ben Kluvi, Baldwin Bazuaye, Andrew Aikhomogbe e.t.c did not help the Ibadan soccer lords with a Duke Udi red card in the early minutes of the game at the old Katsina Township Stadium.
Since then, both club sides have not played in the same category until now and interestingly, fate has put some similarities on their way.
The then scorer of Shooting Stars goals after a successful footballing career, Edith Agoye is now one of the coaches in charge of the Oluyole Warriors and since the fixture schedule, he still believes Katsina United will fall even before their home crowd this time.
But on the contrary, his old Shooting Stars compatriot, Baldwin Bazuaye will not toe the same line. He is now in charge of Katsina United as the head coach after the exit of Bala Nkiyu and if there is a result he needs to boost his chances, it is this.
On current forms, both the Katsina United and Shooting Stars are seemingly bits apart with slight edge for the homers whose away draws in Tornadoes and Lobi Stars are morale booster! Nine points from seven games (with one outstanding) may not be too good a result to boast about for a newly promoted team against their visitors.
For Shooting Stars, they must make their two-match rest (Wikki Tourists and Rangers ) count by grinding out a positive result in this one to salvage absolute faltering away records!
Seven points from six matches (and two outstanding) with actually no points on the road yet, is not a record for a team of their calibre.
As such, Fatai Amoo led Technical crew should parade a formidable squad to match the raging onslaught of a well motivated Katsina side whose magnificent Mohammad Dikko Karkanda Stadium is a beauty to behold.
