By Wale Mustapha
Shooting Stars Technical Adviser, Nurudeen Aweroro, has charged his players to begin the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season on a winning note when they host Bayelsa United on Sunday at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.
The clash will mark Aweroro’s first competitive game in charge of the Oluyole Warriors since arriving from Ikorodu City last season.
The young tactician stressed the importance of recording maximum points in their opening fixture, while also urging his side to play with confidence and purpose.
“We need to get maximum points, and if possible, score plenty of goals. But the most important thing is to secure the win,” Aweroro told Shooting Stars Media.
“We can’t take this game for granted, we have to come out strong and give our best.”
Shooting Stars are aiming to build momentum early in the campaign after a mixed outing last term.
The new NPFL season kicked off on Friday, with defending champions Remo Stars forced to a thrilling 1-1 draw by Rivers United at the Moshood Abiola Sports Arena, Abeokuta.
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.
