Shooting Stars 1-0 Katsina Utd: Wasiu Alalade’s Goal Earns Oluyole Warriors First Victory

By Ogundele Olanrewaju

Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan, on Sunday, secured their first victory of the 2021/22 NPFL season via a 1-0 triumph over Katsina United, with second half substitute, Wasiu Alalade coming off the bench to score the lone goal.

The Lekan Salami Stadium was again filled to the brim as supporters and fans of the Oluyole Warriors from within and outside Ibadan, thronged the arena to cheer their darling team to victory.

The Oluyole Warriors would have come out victorious with a wide margin, had they converted most of the glaring chances that came their way, especially in the first half.

Not wanting anything than the maximum points, the coach Edith Agoye led technical crew paraded a strong line up with Okanlawon Olaide in goal, ably covered by the quartet of skipper Omololu Waheed, Isiaka Mutiu, Ghali Falke and Amodu Nurudeen.

Uko Aniete, Akilu Mohammed and Olatunji Damilare took charge in the middle, leaving Kolawole Daniel, Malomo Taofeek and Olafinihan Gafar upfront.

The Ibadan soccer lords completely dominated proceedings for the largest part of the first 45 minutes but poor marksmanship was their greatest undoing, as the first half ended scoreless.

The homers, who were barely threatened by the visitors, whose attack, led by ex Shooting Stars’ forward, Ahmed Rasheed, was well handled by the 3SC backline, pressed further as the second half got underway.

The introduction of Ebenezer Odeyemi and Wasiu Alalade for the duo of Kola Daniel and Olatunji Damilare, added more bite into the Warriors’ attack and this paid off in the 62nd minutes when Alalade broke the deadlock with his very first touch of the ball.

Katsina United, who had before the goal, packed more men in the defense, tried to come back into the game by pushing forward, but goalkeeper Okanlawon and the 3SC defense stood their ground till the end of the match, thus ensuring that Shooting Stars got their first maximum points of the season.

In his Post-match press conference, Shooting Stars coach, Edith Agoye attributed the their victory to the resolve and determination of the 3SC players to win the game after they had lost the previous match against Lobi Stars.

“First and foremost we are in a position of winning the game against Lobi Stars in our last match and we lost that game but from that night the now determined that come what may that today’s match whatever it takes they are going to win the game”.

He continue “am very happy that Wasiu Alalade and Ebenezer that we brought in put sharpness into the attack, I can assure you that if Wasiu Alalade could shone today like a million stars in today’s game, we also have another player that would shine in our subsequent game, but the players have resolved that they are ready to win this game”.

While his counterpart, Post-match press conference, the Katsina United gaffer, Bishir Sadauki attributed his team defeat to the jet-lag, fatigue, the distance of their journey from Katsina to Ibadan and their individual mistake his players committed during the game which cause the team to lose the game in Ibadan.

“I think our boys are improving and played good football today, it just only the individual mistake that gave the home team the victory today, we would have picked something from this game today”.

He added that “we have an injury prone in the attacking line, like Rasheed, the league is still early we have a lot of new players in the team and you can see that there is improvement when you compare this game with our last game”.

“Even the distance from Katsina to Ibadan can affect any team so is not easy for a player to give an intense performance, very difficult we came by road is not an easy journey and for them to play an high tempo game, you expect them to improve in what they played in first half in second half.”

Coach Sadauki showered praises on the performance of Shooting Stars players for their excellence performance against his team.

“I think the team is good you cannot say that 3SC players is new in NPFL though for a long time the team has not been in NPFL but this players are not new in NPFL, this are players that have tested NPFL before, so is just the team not players that are playing, I think the 3SC played a good game and make my team played with high tempo and make us loose our concentration in the second half.”

3SC, who now have five points from four matches, will next travel to Aba, for a match-day five face off against Enyimba FC of Aba, next Sunday.