By Dayo Awoniyi
Former Nigerian international and ex-Shooting Stars midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has expressed confidence that the Oluyole Warriors can still secure a continental ticket despite their recent 3-0 loss to Bayelsa United.
Adepoju’s remarks reflect optimism within the club and its supporters as they push to return to the continental stage for the first time in years.
Speaking in the aftermath of the defeat, Adepoju praised the team’s overall performance this season, noting that their form has been largely impressive.
“It’s been a very commendable season for Shooting Stars. At a point, they were second on the table,” Adepoju said.
“Unfortunately, they lost some points along the way and dropped to fourth. Still, they’ve done well and are very much in contention for continental qualification.”
Shooting Stars currently sit fifth on the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) table with 48 points from 33 matches.
With five games left in the season, the Ibadan-based club remains within reach of a top-three finish that could secure a CAF competition berth.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
