By Wale Mustapha
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has expressed deep sadness over the passing of Shooting Stars Sports Club assistant coach, Akin Olowokere.
Olowokere tragically died on Monday after collapsing on the pitch during a training session at the Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu-Ode. The incident occurred in the morning while he was diligently carrying out his coaching duties.
NPFL chairman, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, described the coach’s death as a significant loss to both the league and Nigerian football. He highlighted that Olowokere had only recently resumed his role with Shooting Stars and had already begun making a positive impact.
“He was passionate about football and the NPFL, which is why he was part of the Shooting Stars project. It is sad and painful to lose a coach who had made his mark and had just started his journey with the club again,” Elegbeleye said.
The NPFL chairman extended heartfelt condolences to Olowokere’s family, friends, and the entire Shooting Stars community.
Olowokere was appointed ahead of the new season to assist head coach Nurudeen Aweroro at the Ibadan-based club.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
