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For the Oluyole Warriors’ faithfuls, the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League season opened in dramatic fashion at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
Nurudeen Aweroro’s Shooting Stars SC suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Monday Odigie’s Bayelsa United in one of the weekend’s most anticipated fixtures.
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Open in WhatsAppIt was a game that pitted two tacticians with contrasting philosophies against each other; Aweroro, the ex-Ikorodu City gaffer and strategist who had gone 18 home games unbeaten from his Ikorodu City days to stepping up as Shooting Stars’ head coach, and Odigie, the seasoned campaigner who once turned Bendel Insurance into an NPFL force.
In the end, Odigie’s Bayelsa United showed resilience and tactical edge, leaving Ibadan with all three points and a major statement.
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The decisive moment
The game’s only goal arrived in the 30th minute, courtesy of homegrown forward Kehinde Lawal, who ghosted past a static Shooting Stars backline to meet a perfectly-weighted corner. His glancing header bounced off the turf before nestling into the net, catching the Oluyole Warriors defence line flat-footed and sparking wild celebrations from the “Prosperity Boys.”
Despite waves of pressure and several half-chances, Shooting Stars could not find a way back, handing Aweroro his first ever home defeat in charge of a NPFL club in the top-flight from his Ikorodu City days, and his first defeat as Shooting Stars boss on his debut, and home debut as the Coach.
Aweroro reflects on painful home loss
After the game, Aweroro cut a calm but visibly disappointed figure as he addressed the press, insisting the setback was more about poor reaction than outright failure of his system.
“It’s a game that sometimes you can’t buy out the result. It comes, and it has come like that, we need to accept it. I don’t want to believe we made a mistake.
“We all believe that with our brand, we need to win. But yet, it didn’t come the way we wanted. We just need to go back and make corrections. Very good game, even though Shooting Stars lost.”
On what specifically went wrong, he pointed to lapses in concentration and psychology:
“Of course, I think we just need to work on our concentration and psychology. We lost concentration on that goal and we paid for it. Our reaction was so poor. It was not how we planned it, and I believe we are going to work on that.”
Trusting his philosophy, demanding more from finishing
Asked if his players were adapting to his football philosophy, Aweroro was quick to defend his system, highlighting the chances created that went unconverted.
“Of course we are. If you watched the game, we had a lot of attempts to score. We just have to work on the finishing aspect. We created more chances, and that came from our philosophy.”
On substitutions and fitness concerns
Aweroro explained his late introduction of Promise Awosanmi, revealing it was a matter of fitness management rather than tactics.
“It was because of the level of his fitness. I know the boy has something to do but the intensity was so high. I didn’t want to bring him in, but I also didn’t want players already on the field to get tired.
“We still have more matches to play. I’m trying to avoid injuries, when you overwork the muscles, it tweaks, and that can result in injury.”
ALSO READ: ANALYSIS: How Nurudeen Aweroro’s bold philosophy might reshape Shooting Stars’ NPFL title quest
The Shooting Stars boss also defended his decision to bench two of his most influential players until late in the game:
“Not at all. That was my game plan. Both are just coming back from knocks, but I think with their experience they will give me what I want.
“I didn’t even plan to bring them in early. I planned to use them in the second half because of their fitness level.”
The bigger picture
The loss may sting for Shooting Stars’ and Aweroro’s faithful, particularly with his home run finally broken, but Aweroro made clear his belief in his squad and philosophy.
For Bayelsa United, it was the perfect start to a season where they’ll aim to punch above their weight under Odigie’s guidance.
As the season gathers pace, Shooting Stars will be under pressure to respond quickly. For Aweroro, the challenge is not just about bouncing back, but proving his unbeaten home streak from Ikorodu City to Ibadan was no fluke; rather, the loss will now form a foundation of a team built to challenge the NPFL’s best.
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