Shooting Stars unveil ex- Super Eagles coach Salisu Yusuf as new technical adviser

Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan have officially unveiled former Super Eagles Coach, Salisu Yusuf, as their new head coach ahead of the 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.

Yusuf had coached Super Eagles team B, also known as home-based side. Blueprint reports

Previous record

Yusuf returns to the NPFL after ending his spell with Benin Republic club Coton FC in June. He joined the club in August 2025 and guided them to a second-place finish in the Beninese top flight before both parties mutually agreed to end their relationship.

The 64-year-old coach has spent more than two decades in management, having begun his managerial career with Nasarawa United in 2002. He has subsequently worked with several Nigerian clubs, including Kano Pillars, Enugu Rangers and Enyimba.

The appointment comes shortly after the Oluyole Warriors parted ways with Nurudeen Aweroro, who guided the club during the previous campaign.

Salisu Yusuf is now expected to lead Shooting Stars into the new NPFL season, with the club looking to build on its previous campaign and mount a stronger challenge in the top flight.

New era at Shooting Stars

The unveiling marks the beginning of a new chapter for the historic Ibadan club, which remains one of Nigeria’s most recognised football sides.

Shooting Stars will be hoping that the arrival of the new tactician brings stability and a fresh approach as preparations intensify for the new NPFL campaign.

The 2026/27 NPFL season is scheduled to begin on August 28, with Shooting Stars handed a home fixture against newly promoted Inter Lagos at the Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan.

That opening-day encounter will provide Salisu with an immediate opportunity to make an impression in competitive football.

Tough assignment ahead

The new coach will have little time to settle before the season begins, with expectations likely to be high from the club’s supporters.

Shooting Stars are one of the traditional giants of Nigerian football and have a rich history in domestic competition.

The club’s supporters will expect the team to compete strongly and challenge for honours.

Salisu will therefore be tasked with building a squad capable of delivering consistent results while establishing a clear tactical identity.

His immediate focus will be on ensuring that the players are physically and tactically ready for the opening fixture against Inter Lagos.

With the new NPFL season fast approaching, the appointment also gives Shooting Stars an opportunity to reset and begin the campaign with renewed optimism.

The club’s management will be hoping the new technical team can quickly establish a winning formula and restore Shooting Stars to the upper reaches of Nigerian football.

For Salisu Yusuf, meanwhile, the new assignment represents an opportunity to make his mark at one of the country’s most historic clubs.

The 2026/27 campaign will now officially begin a new era for the Oluyole Warriors, after they finished in 3rd place in the 2025/26 NPFL.

Continental engagement

Having finished third best in the last season, Shooting Stars will represent Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup.

In the recently released fixtures by organisers, the Ibadan-based club will be up against Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien at home, in the first preliminary round at MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta by September, 2026.