Ahead of the eagerly anticipated kickoff of the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan are already in battle mode, and their new manager, Nurudeen Aweroro, is not hiding his ambition.
Fresh from guiding his new side through a solid pre-season, Aweroro sat down with PREMIUM TIMES after the Value Jet Preseason Tournament, an event won on goal difference by his former side, Ikorodu City Football Club, who also claimed the Eko Cup last month.
It was a result that added a twist to the narrative: the man who built Ikorodu’s competitive edge now leads the Oluyole Warriors into a season where anything short of a serious title challenge will be seen as failure by the fiercely demanding Ibadan faithful.
Aweroro, who earned a reputation at Ikorodu City for expansive, attack-minded football, is stepping into one of the most pressure-filled dugouts in Nigerian football. Here, he speaks on his blueprint, his belief in teamwork over individual brilliance, and what the NPFL should expect when Shooting Stars hit the pitch on 22 August
Excerpts…
PT: It’s been a strong pre-season for Shooting Stars. Going into the new season, what’s your blueprint for the Oluyole Warriors?
Aweroro: My blueprint is to give them what they want, and what they want is to go for the continental, probably to win the league. With God, everything is possible.
PT: You’ve brought in some new faces. Which of the new recruits do you expect to make the biggest difference when the league resumes?
Aweroro: Actually, I don’t believe in one player. I always believe in teamwork. That’s what is going to give us what we want; teamwork, cohesion between the players, understanding.
I have never believed in one player since I started coaching. I want to believe my team, as a unit, is going to give us what we want.
PT: Are you targeting any specific trophy? And where do you realistically see Shooting Stars finishing this season?
Aweroro: Definitely, like I said before, we are here to win the league this season. Nothing but to win the league.
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PT: Your style at Ikorodu City was expansive and attacking. Should we expect the same at Shooting Stars?
Aweroro: Yes. What they call style is natural in a human being; your style of living, your way of living, your style of playing, the way you are composed. That cannot be changed in an individual.
So, it still remains my style of football. What I did at Ikorodu City is what I’m still going to do here.
PT: Thank you for your time, and best of luck in the new season.
Aweroro: Thank you, it’s my pleasure.
