By Dayo Awoniyi
Bayelsa United silenced a raucous Lekan Salami Stadium on Sunday, snatching a 1-0 victory over Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) in their Nigeria Premier Football League opener.
The Oluyole Warriors began the clash on the front foot, urged on by their fans who turned the arena into a carnival of drumming and chants. 3SC created early openings, with Ayobami Adekunle and Anthony Okachi testing the visitors’ defense, but they lacked the clinical touch in front of goal.
Against the run of play, Bayelsa United struck in the 30th minute. From a well-delivered corner, striker Kehinde Lawal rose above his marker to glance a powerful header past goalkeeper Detan Ogundare — a goal that would ultimately decide the contest.
Stunned but not deflated, 3SC piled forward in search of an equalizer, dominating possession and forcing Bayelsa goalkeeper John Shaibu into a series of crucial saves. The second half was played largely in Bayelsa’s territory, with the home side throwing men forward, yet their profligacy in front of goal proved costly.
At full time, disappointment was written on the faces of the Ibadan faithful, but they applauded their side’s commitment and fight despite the narrow defeat.
For Bayelsa United, the result marks a dream start to their NPFL campaign, while 3SC must regroup quickly as they look to convert dominance into points in the coming weeks.
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.
