By Wale Mustapha
Shooting Stars’ Technical Adviser, Gbenga Ogunbote, has voiced his frustration following his side’s 1-1 draw with Plateau United on Sunday, calling the result disappointing.
Despite creating several chances to secure the win in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) encounter last time out, the Oluyole Warriors were forced to settle for a draw after the hosts mounted a late rally in Jos.
Ogunbote admitted that the failure to convert their opportunities was a costly mistake, stressing that it would have been devastating if they had lost after their solid performance.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t hold on to the lead,” Ogunbote told media.
“It was a lapse in concentration, an error on our part. We had a real chance against a strong team like Plateau United, and to lose it like that is a setback.
“But we will go back to the drawing board and fix what went wrong.”
He added, “It would have been suicidal to concede a second goal. Plateau United showed their killer instinct, and we were careless. They capitalized on our mistake and fought hard for that equalizer.”
Despite the setback, Shooting Stars remain in second place with 37 points from 21 games. They will look to bounce back in their next fixture against Insurance FC on Sunday.
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.
