Remo Stars: Nigeria’s top professional Club

Remo Stars is a football club based in Ogun State, Nigeria, playing its home matches at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne. The stadium, built three seasons ago by the club’s proprietor Mr. Kunle Soname, is a 5,000-capacity venue with an astro-turf pitch. The project, which cost around N500 million, serves as the home ground for both domestic league matches and CAF Champions League games for the Ikenne-based team.

Generate Revenue

Remo Stars generate revenue through various streams. The club earns from match-day ticket sales and the sale of jerseys, which are currently designed by Owu Sports and sold for N10,000 each. Additionally, the club profits significantly from player transfers, particularly, the sale of talented players to European and South American clubs.

About Club Proprietor

Kunle Soname is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and football. He may have drawn inspiration from small football clubs in Europe, particularly in the UK, where football is used to engage young people, keeping them away from crime and providing them with livelihood opportunities.

With this vision, Soname founded a grassroots football club in 2004 in Ketu, Lagos, as a platform for youth development and recreation. Initially named FC Dender, the club created a positive environment, where young Nigerians could nurture their talents.

In 2010, Soname’s commitment to youth football bore fruit when FC Dender was promoted to the Nigeria National League (NNL), the country’s second-tier football division. The club’s fan base expanded significantly during its time at Agege Stadium in Lagos, prompting Soname to rebrand and reposition the club for further growth.

From FC Dender to Remo Stars

In 2011, Soname moved the club from Lagos to Ogun State, his home region, specifically to Ikenne, a town known for producing notable Nigerian leaders, including Chief Obafemi Awolowo. This relocation brought about a new identity, with FC Dender rebranding as Remo Stars Sports Club, a name reflecting the club’s new home and its role as a “shining light” for the Remo community.

Remo Stars quickly gained recognition, notably competing against Enyimba FC in the FA Cup in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, the club knocked out the defending champions, further establishing its reputation as a rising force in Nigerian football.

After several seasons in the NNL, Remo Stars earned promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) during the 2015/2016 season, under the guidance of Chief Coach Nduka Ugbade. Despite facing relegation twice, the club’s professionalism and resilience have seen it return to the NPFL for a third time — an achievement many other relegated teams have struggled to replicate.

Kunle Soname’s Net Worth

Kunle Soname’s entrepreneurial ventures extend beyond football. In 2013, he co-founded Bet9ja with Ayo Ojuroye, which significantly boosted his fortune. Soname’s net worth is estimated to exceed $100 million. He also owns ValueJet, a charter airline company in Nigeria, known popularly among young Nigerians as the “Kunle Soname airline.”

Born on April 27, 1966, in Ogun State, Soname attended Federal Government College and later graduated from Lagos State University (LASU) in 1996 with a degree in political science. He became the first Nigerian to own a majority stake in a European football club when he acquired 70% of Portugal’s Clube Desportivo Feirense in 2016.

Kunle Soname’s passion for football, coupled with his business acumen, has made him one of Nigeria’s wealthiest and most influential figures. His dedication to empowering young Nigerians through sports continues to impact the nation’s football scene significantly.

Remo Stars Crash Out of CAF Champions League

In a heartbreaking and familiar scenario for Nigerian football fans, Remo Stars, the Sagamu-based club, were eliminated from the CAF Champions League at the preliminary stage for the second consecutive season. The early exit marks a bitter disappointment for the club, which has been striving to establish itself on the continental stage after making a rapid rise in Nigerian football.

Remo Stars’ journey to the CAF Champions League has been nothing short of remarkable. The club, founded in 2010, only gained promotion to the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) in 2017. Despite facing early struggles, including relegation, they quickly bounced back and, through astute management and player development, secured a top finish in the 2022 NPFL season. That remarkable feat qualified them for their debut appearance in the 2022/2023 CAF Champions League.

Their entry into Africa’s premier club competition was met with excitement and anticipation from Nigerian football fans, eager to see the team test their mettle against the continent’s best. However, Remo Stars’ campaign ended prematurely, when they were knocked out in the preliminary rounds by Moroccan giants ASFAR Rabat.

Déjà Vu in the 2023/2024 Season

The 2023/2024 season saw Remo Stars qualify once again for the CAF Champions League after finishing second in the NPFL. The club was determined to improve on their previous outing, with significant investment in the playing squad and backroom staff to prepare for the grueling challenges of continental football.

Their draw in the preliminary round was relatively favorable, as they were paired with Ghanaian club Medeama SC. Remo Stars went into the tie with hopes of progressing beyond this stage, having gained valuable experience from their first appearance in the competition.

A Grueling Two-legged Tie

The first leg of the tie was played at the Akoon Park in Tarkwa, Ghana, where Medeama SC secured a slender 1-0 victory. Despite being the underdogs, the Ghanaians capitalized on a defensive lapse by Remo Stars to score a crucial goal, leaving the Nigerian side with everything to play for in the return leg.

In the second leg, Remo Stars returned to their home ground at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, with high hopes of overturning the deficit. The home crowd turned up in numbers, cheering their team on with fervent passion. Remo Stars dominated possession and created several scoring opportunities, but their inability to convert chances proved costly.

As the clock ticked down, tensions rose, and it became clear that Medeama SC was content to sit deep and defend their aggregate lead. Despite late pressure from Remo Stars, the game ended in a goalless draw, sealing the Nigerian side’s fate and ending their CAF Champions League journey in the preliminary stage for the second year running.

Remo Stars’ future

Despite the disappointment of another early exit, there is still a sense of optimism surrounding Remo Stars. The club has continued to invest in its infrastructure and youth academy, which has produced several talented players. With continued development, Remo Stars could soon emerge as a force to be reckoned with on the African stage.

Coach Daniel Ogunmodede and his technical team will no doubt be disappointed with the result, but they now have the opportunity to focus on the domestic league and prepare for another potential run in continental competitions.

Player’s Welfare

Meanwhile, Remo Stars’ media officer, Dimeji Oshode, has shed light on the club’s commitment to player welfare and contract management. He emphasized that at Remo Stars, players sign contracts promptly, and there is a well-established system that facilitates smooth transfers to overseas clubs.

“Among all the clubs in Nigeria, Remo Stars stands out for having the highest number of players, who have signed contracts with foreign clubs,” Oshode proudly noted.

He further explained that players at the Ikenne-based club receive their wages and match bonuses on time.

“At Remo Stars, no player is owed a single dime. Payments are made regularly, and this also extends to the backroom staff,” he added.