By Wale Mustapha
Veteran Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) coach Gbenga Ogunbote has rejected an offer from Kano Pillars, opting instead to remain with Shooting Stars for the final year of his contract.
Ogunbote, who guided the Oluyole Warriors to an eighth-place finish in the 2023/24 NPFL season, has confirmed his decision to honour the remaining year of his deal with the Ibadan-based club.
Kano Pillars are actively searching for a new head coach following the departure of Usman Abdallah earlier this month. Abdallah stepped down from his role citing personal reasons.
The four-time NPFL champions have also shortlisted Mohammed Babaganaru and Salisu Yusuf as potential candidates to fill the vacancy.
Ogunbote, widely respected for his experience and tactical acumen, has previously managed several top Nigerian clubs including Enyimba, Sunshine Stars, and Rangers International.
His decision to stay put provides continuity for Shooting Stars as they aim to build on their mid-table finish in the upcoming 2024/25 season.
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.
