NPFL: Salisu Yusuf backs Shooting Stars to improve after winning start

Shooting Stars head coach Salisu Yusuf believes his side will only get better after beginning their 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over newly promoted Inter Lagos at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, on Friday.

The Oluyole Warriors secured all three points in a lively opening fixture that produced three first-half goals and two penalties, before both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities after the interval.

Shooting Stars made the brighter start and took the lead in the 11th minute through Lucky Emmanuel; the forward racing into the box to meet a flick-on from a throw-in before firing a low effort into the goalkeeper’s right corner to put the hosts ahead.

Inter Lagos, however, responded midway through the first half and made history in the process.

Captain Uchenna Njoku scored the club’s first-ever NPFL goal, finishing into an empty net after Adigun Damilare produced an impressive run before picking out his teammate with a precise pass across the face of goal.

The newly promoted side’s celebrations were short-lived, though, as Shooting Stars regained their advantage on the stroke of half-time after being awarded a penalty.

Sodiq Ibrahim stepped up and made no mistake from the spot to send the hosts into the break with a 2-1 lead.

The tempo dropped considerably after the restart, with chances becoming increasingly difficult to come by as Shooting Stars focused on protecting their advantage.

Substitute Qamar Adejoke provided another attacking spark for the home side and earned a second penalty towards the closing stages, presenting Shooting Stars with an opportunity to put the game beyond Inter Lagos.

However, fellow substitute Adams Mustapha was denied by the post as the visitors survived the late scare.

Shooting Stars ultimately held on to secure a winning start and give their new coach a positive beginning to the campaign.

Despite the narrow margin of victory, Salisu was confident there is considerably more to come from his team as they continue to develop under his leadership.

“It’s step by step. I think we will play better than this with every match. We’ve been together for a short time, and we have this result. If we have one month, you can imagine what to expect,” Salisu said after the game.

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“They will continue to improve. That is my belief.”

The Ibadan side will now quickly switch their attention to continental football, with Shooting Stars set to face Tunisian side CS Sfaxien in the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round next week in Abeokuta.

For Inter Lagos, their first NPFL outing has ended in defeat, but the club can take positives from Njoku’s historic strike as they prepare for their first home fixture of the campaign against Doma United next weekend.

For Shooting Stars, however, the immediate challenge is to build on Friday’s victory and carry that winning momentum into their continental campaign.