After eight years in Championship exile, the Black Cats marked their return to the English top flight at the end of last season, overcoming Sheffield United in the playoff final at Wembley.
Under the guidance of Regis Le Bris, Sunderland have taken the Premier League by storm, producing commanding performances that have propelled them to seventh place in the table with 14 points from eight matches.
Only six promoted sides have surpassed this remarkable form in the history of the competition. Significantly, it also represents Sunderland’s strongest start to a top-flight campaign since the 1999–2000 season.
While praising the Stadium of Light outfit for their impressive resurgence, Offiong remains cautious, declining to set overly ambitious goals when asked if their current form could see them break into the top five.
"They're doing really well. Sunderland are really doing great; probably better than a lot of people thought," the 41-year-old told Flashscore.com in an exclusive interview.
"Sunderland have got lots of new players and those players have really gelled. So, I think they can do really well this season.
"You never know (if they can finish in the top five). I'm wishing that they do and it that happens, that'll be a fantastic season.
"But to be honest, I think every single Sunderland fan would love to the team to remain in the league. So, if Sunderland do stay in the Premier League, I think they'll be more than happy with that."
The two-time English FA Cup winners’ best-ever Premier League finish is seventh place, achieved in both the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons.
Offiong impressed by African representation at Sunderland
One key factor behind Sunderland’s impressive start to the 2025–26 campaign has been the quality of their summer signings.
The club brought in 15 new players during the transfer window, reportedly spending over £160 million—a record for a promoted side.
The arrivals of Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso), Nordi Mukiele (France/Congo), Arthur Masuaku (Congo), Simon Adingra (Côte d’Ivoire), Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique), Noah Sadiki (Congo), and Habib Diarra (Senegal) significantly boosted the African contingent in the squad, much to the delight of Offiong, who is of Nigerian descent.
"I really love it because when I was younger, this wasn't really the case," the former Motherwell star added.
"There weren’t many teams that had maybe lots of black players or even African players, African descent playing for them. So, it's really good to see."
Sunderland will be looking to maintain their strong form when they travel to Stamford Bridge for Saturday’s crucial league clash against Chelsea.
Between 1996 and 2001, the Black Cats won four of their first six Premier League encounters with the Blues. Since then, however, they have managed just three victories in 26 meetings, alongside two draws and 21 defeats.
Racism has no place in football
Despite a promising yet nomadic career that took him to Scotland, Turkey, Belgium, South Korea, Sweden, Australia, and Malaysia, Offiong retired from professional football in 2015 due to recurring injuries.
Since then, he has channelled his passion into social impact and now serves as Campaign Coordinator for Show Racism the Red Card, a leading anti-racism education charity.
The organisation leverages the visibility of professional footballers as role models to challenge and combat racism in society.
When asked whether football’s authorities are doing enough to eradicate racism, Offiong remains optimistic, envisioning a future where racism in the sport is eliminated.
He said: "I think there’s always more that can be done. Clubs can make sure they’re being more representative of the fans and ensure football environments are as safe and inclusive as possible.
"Things can always be improved. The positive thing is that more people are aware, more people want to get involved, and more people are trying to make a difference, so I’m confident things will continue to improve in the future."
Read about Jermain Defoe's thoughts on Sunderland's impressive start to the season here.
