By Wale Mustapha
Shooting Stars Technical Adviser Gbenga Ogunbote has attributed his team’s narrow 1–0 victory over Sunshine Stars to anxiety and pressure stemming from their recent poor form.
The Oluyole Warriors ended a five-match winless streak in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) with a hard-fought win over their South-West rivals on Matchday 36, played at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Sunday.
Left-back Ikouwem Utim scored the decisive goal, securing all three points for the home side in front of their fans.
Speaking after the match, Ogunbote admitted that the team’s recent form affected the players’ composure and performance in front of goal.
“There was a lot of anxiety among my players, which made them miss several obvious chances,” he said. “But the important thing is the three points we now have in the kitty. The win is a big relief for a team that had gone five games without victory.”
Ogunbote added that the win would serve as a morale booster heading into the final stretch of the season.
With the result, Shooting Stars move up to seventh place on the NPFL table, having accumulated 51 points from 36 matches. They will travel to face Kano Pillars in their next fixture this weekend.
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.
