By Wale Mustapha
Shooting Stars Technical Adviser, Nurudeen Aweroro, has hailed his side’s resilience after securing their first victory of the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League season.
The Oluyole Warriors edged Kun Khalifat 2–1 in a tense Matchday Five clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, on Sunday.
Captain Ghali Falke opened the scoring before Sodiq Ibrahim doubled the lead, while Henry Ezeonye’s strike gave the visitors a late lifeline.
Before the breakthrough, Shooting Stars had endured a poor run, managing only two draws and two defeats from their opening four fixtures.
Speaking after the game, Aweroro said the win could prove pivotal in turning the team’s fortunes around.
“This win will give the boys the much-needed confidence and motivation because we need such a win to boost our confidence. We also believe it will help us to do well and we will continue to psyche ourselves up,” he stated.
Shooting Stars will aim to build on the result when they travel to face Warri Wolves in a Matchday Six encounter at the Southern Delta University Stadium, Ozoro, on Sunday.
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.
