By Wale Mustapha
Shooting Stars’ new left-back, Samuel Okon, is a happy man after a memorable debut for the Ibadan-based club on Sunday.
Okon, who joined the Oluyole Warriors from Bayelsa United during the mid-season transfer window, marked his first appearance with a standout performance against Niger Tornadoes.
The young defender scored his side’s second goal in the 3-1 victory, converting a set-piece to seal the win for Shooting Stars.
Okon’s impressive debut earned him the Player of the Match award.
Struggling to contain his emotions after the match, Okon expressed his gratitude to his teammates and coaches for their support, and promised to give his all in future games.
“I am extremely happy to make my debut for this club, to score, and most importantly, to help the team win this game,” Okon said in a post-match interview with the club’s media.
“I believe we have what it takes to make our supporters proud, and I am always ready to contribute my quota to ensure the team’s success.”
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.
