By Wale Mustapha
Shooting Stars Technical Adviser, Gbenga Ogunbote, expressed a deep sense of relief after his side ended a seven-match winless streak in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) with a 3-1 victory over Niger Tornadoes on Sunday in Ibadan.
The Oluyole Warriors secured a vital win in the Matchday 30 fixture, and Ogunbote, visibly relieved, admitted that the result had lifted a huge weight from his shoulders.
“It’s a big relief for me and the boys. Honestly, you can see that we have a team that can withstand any opponent,” Ogunbote told the club’s media.
“But sometimes, when you go through rough moments, there’s little you can do. However, I thank God we’ve come back to winning ways, and I hope we can maintain this momentum.”
The win propelled Shooting Stars into fourth place on the table, reigniting the club’s hopes of securing a continental spot at the end of the season.
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.
