Shooting Stars S.C. has officially secured a return to continental football for the first time in 27 years following the conclusion of the Nigeria Premier Football League season.
Before the turn of the millennium, the Oluyole Warriors were among Nigeria’s regular representatives in African club competitions.
The Ibadan-based side last won the Nigerian league title in 1998 and subsequently featured in the 1999 CAF Champions League. Since then, the club has remained absent from the continental stage.
Despite suffering an away defeat to Niger Tornadoes F.C. in Minna on Sunday, Shooting Stars managed to retain third position on the NPFL table after Ikorodu City F.C. suffered a surprise home defeat to Rangers International F.C.
The outcome confirmed Shooting Stars’ qualification for continental football next season, marking a major milestone for the historic club and its supporters after nearly three decades away from African competition.
The achievement represents a significant step in the club’s resurgence and restores one of Nigeria’s most traditional football institutions to the continental stage.
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.
