As the final whistle blew through the Remo Stars Stadium and the confetti rained down on Sunday, May 11, the club’s veteran striker, Sikiru Alimi, stood in the middle of it all — not just a champion, but a man who had fought his way back from the shadows.
The 29-year-old striker Sikiru Alimi, who has represented Nigeria’s B team Super Eagles twice, was not only celebrating Remo Stars’ momentous league title win with a score of 4-1 against Ikorodu City, but also contemplating a season that challenged him on emotional, physical, and mental levels.
At the beginning of the season, I was struggling. Emotionally, I was down. I needed to fight back, and the coach encouraged me,” Alimi told Naija News on Sunday. “Behind the scenes, a lot was going on? So, it was a very difficult season for me. There were games in which I was being sacrificed due to tactics…
Disappearing could have been easy — allowing the rotation, doubts, and sacrifices to sap his confidence. But Sikiru Alimi opted for fight instead of flight. He fought his way back onto the squad, discovering brilliance and leadership within himself along the way. His goal in the 38th minute against Ikorodu City on Sunday was more than just another statistic. It served as a statement — a personal victory intertwined with the team’s success. “We needed three points from the match overall. It was a South West derby, so we had to assert our authority. We went all out, and it was an emphatic win. We always want to encourage our fans to keep supporting us,” he said.
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