NPFL: Resolute Shooting Stars hold Kwara United to goalless draw in Ilorin

By Dayo Awoniyi

Kwara United were left frustrated on Sunday after being held to a hard-fought goalless draw by Shooting Stars in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 14 encounter at the Rashidi Yekini Main Bowl of the George Innih Stadium, Ilorin.

The hosts began brightly, applying sustained early pressure through the lively pair of Johnmark Aule and Ini Emmanuel, whose movement and pace repeatedly unsettled the Oluyole Warriors’ defence. Despite Kwara United’s dominance in the opening exchanges, the visitors’ backline stayed organized and disciplined.

Junior Aimufua came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 37th minute, but his effort drifted wide as the Harmony Boys continued to push for an opener.

Shooting Stars emerged from the interval with greater urgency, forcing the home side to tighten their defensive structure. Goalkeeper Nurudeen Badmus proved decisive, producing a string of impressive saves to keep the match level during key periods of second-half pressure.

Kwara United nearly snatched a late winner when Arinze Ogbonna rattled the crossbar, followed by a goal-bound header that was cleared off the line. Substitute Alao Mohammed also squandered a clear opportunity to secure all three points for the hosts.

Badmus’ assured display earned him both the Cyteck Man of the Match award and the Ambassador Yahaya Seriki Man of the Match honour, jointly sponsored by Engr. Ahmed Olaide and Coach Usman Biffo.

Reacting after the draw, Kwara United head coach Ashifat Suleiman attributed the result to both misfortune and the physical style of their opponents.

“3SC played very aggressive and physical football,” Suleiman said. “It affected them too—they lost two players to injury in the first half with that physicality. We were unlucky today. We’ll go back, regroup, and recover the lost points.”

The result leaves Kwara United in 11th place on the NPFL standings with 18 points from 14 matches. They travel to Kano next weekend for a fixture against Barau.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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