By Wale Mustapha
The Ondo State Government has appointed a new five-member management committee to oversee the affairs of its state-owned football clubs — Sunshine Stars, Sunshine Queens, and the Sunshine Stars U19 team — ahead of the upcoming football season.
According to a statement released on Friday and obtained by NigeriaFootball.ng, the committee will be led by seasoned football administrator Ogbonnaya Divine, a former official of Sunshine Stars during their stints in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and continental competitions.
Divine will be responsible for coordinating the operations of all three teams, ensuring strategic management and performance improvement.
He will be joined by four other members: Segun Joseph, Awosakin Iloyomade, Iyabo Ajanaku, and Dapo Ajibade.
The appointments come on the back of mixed fortunes for the state’s football outfits. Sunshine Stars were relegated to the Nigeria National League (NNL) last season after a disappointing NPFL campaign.
Conversely, Sunshine Queens seek immediate promotion from the Championship in a bid to return to the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership for the 2025/26 season.
Meanwhile, the Sunshine Stars U19 team is currently participating in the NPFL Youth League tournament in Ikenne, Ogun State.
The new committee is expected to drive a turnaround in the fortunes of the clubs and restore the state’s status in Nigeria’s elite football circles.
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.
