Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) winger Ismail Ayodele has apologised to the club’s management, coaching staff, teammates, and supporters following his unauthorised absence from the team’s pre-season camp.
Ayodele, who was previously reported missing after failing to report for pre-season activities without the club’s approval, returned to the Ibadan-based side on Monday and has resumed training with his teammates.
In a statement shared on his social media pages, the winger admitted he was wrong, expressed regret over his actions, and offered a sincere apology to everyone affected by his absence.
His return comes as Shooting Stars intensify preparations for the 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, with the club aiming to build momentum and maintain stability ahead of the new campaign.
With the apology now made and training resumed, the incident appears set to be resolved, allowing Ayodele to focus on regaining the club’s confidence and contributing positively in the season ahead.
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.
