Shooting Stars SC

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Shooting Stars SC
Shooting Stars SC logo
Full nameShooting Stars Sports Club (3SC)
NicknameOluyole Warriors
Founded1950s (As WNDC Ibadan)
GroundLekan Salami Stadium
Capacity10,000
Sporting DirectorTobi Adepoju
ChairmanHon. Taiwo Lekan Salami
ManagerNurudeen Aweroro
LeagueNigeria Professional Football League
2025–263rd

Shooting Stars Sports Club (often nicknamed 3SC or Oluyole Warriors) is a Nigerian professional football club based in Ibadan, in south-western Nigeria.

History

The club was one of the founders of the Nigerian Premier League in 1972, when they were called WNDC Ibadan (Western Nigeria Development Corporation), and were later called IICC (Industrial Investment and Credit Corporation) Shooting Stars of Ibadan.[1]

Their nickname "Shooting Stars" was added on the suggestion of the team's founding members, the late Jide Johnson and Niyi Omowon the "Aare Odan Liberty" (Generalissimo of Liberty Stadium) who believed that the players were "stars" in their own right.[2]

Shooting Stars is one of the most followed football clubs in Nigeria. They play their home matches at the Lekan Salami Stadium. The stadium was named after one of the prominent supporters of the club who is now deceased. "Sooting", as it is called by its supporters, earlier used to play at the famous Liberty Stadium, one of the venues for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Shooting Stars is the first club to win the FA Cup on club basis in Nigeria in 1971, when players like Aderoju Omowon, Niyi Akande, Jossy Lad, Amusa Adisa were prominent in the squad.[3] Shooting Stars is one of the most decorated club sides in Nigeria alongside Enyimba Enugu Rangers and the defunct Stationery Stores of Lagos though they have failed to win any major trophy since 1998. In fact, Shooting Stars and Enugu Rangers[4] are known as the traditional football clubs in the country, both dominating the football scene in the country during the 1970s and 1980s.

Shooting Stars have played and won many matches against top club sides in Africa. 3SC won the first edition of CAF Cup, defeating the Nakivubo Villa of Uganda 3–0 in the finals at the Lekan Salami stadium after the first leg ended goalless. They won the African Cup Winners' Cup in 1976,[5] becoming the first Nigerian clubside to win an international trophy.[6]

They ended their 2004–05 season in fifth place in the Premier League. After the introduction of a strange double-league format by the Nigerian Football Association, Shooting Stars got relegated to the lower division in 2006, but won promotion in 2009 after finishing second in the Division 1B. They were relegated back on the last day of the 2017 NPFL season. Head Coach Edith Agoye and the rest of the 3SC Management board resigned in July 2019 after they lost a promotion playoff to Akwa Starlets.[7]

Many well-known international stars have played for Shooting Stars in the past, including former African footballer of the year Rashidi Yekini, "the mathematical" Segun Odegbami and so on.[8] Notable players include Rashidi Yekini, Segun Odegbami, Felix Owolabi, Niyi Akande, Taiwo Ogunjobi, Duke Udi, Olumide Harris, Golden Ajeboh, Ajibade Babalade, Ademola Johnson, and Jude Axelsson.[9]

Crest

Honours

Domestic

Continental

Regional

Performance in CAF competitions

1972 – Second Round
1981 – Second Round
1984 Runners-up
1996 Runners-up
1999 – Group stage
1992 Champion
1993 – First Round
1995 – Second Round
1976 Champion
1977 – Semi-finals
1978 – First Round
1980 – Quarter-finals

Current Squad

As of 4 May, 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
16 GK  NGA Mustapha Lawal
33 GK  NGA Elkanah Godgift
34 GK  NGA Ozovehe Emmanuel Adeiza
40 GK  NGA Christian Dawariomi
7 DF  NGA Edoho Friday Mfon
7 DF  NGA Monsoor Saleh Aliyu
7 DF  NGA Desmond Ojietefian Sylvester
8 DF  NGA Utin Ikouwem Udo
8 DF  NGA Al-Ameen Tijani Kehinde
9 DF  NGA Okon Samuel Godwin
11 DF  NGA Ismail Ghali Falke (captain)
13 DF  NGA Adelowo Gbolagade Damilola
14 DF  NGA Justice Apaingolo Mathew
15 DF  NGA Jamiu Hamzat Opeyemi
16 DF  NGA Emmanuel Ndubueze Chinedu
17 DF  NGA David Luis Johnson
18 MF  NGA Charles Ribannu
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF  NGA Kalio Tamuno
20 MF  NGA Chukwudi Ekeocha Lawrence
21 MF  NGA Ayobami Junior
22 MF  NGA Stephen Amos
23 MF  NGA Abayomi Adebayo Emmanuel
25 MF  NGA Tunde Azeez Akeem
26 MF  NGA Alex Aghahowa Otakho
27 MF  NGA Tijani Kabiru Manchy
29 MF  NGA Olajobi Olaoke Oladiran
30 MF  NGA James Namapele
33 FW  NGA Mustapha Adam Agba
34 FW  NGA Wasiu Ganiyu
35 FW  NGA Akpan Joshua Akan
36 FW  NGA Qamar Adegoke
38 FW  NGA Lucky Gyang Emmanuel
38 FW  NGA Onyemaechi Austin Tochukwu
38 FW  NGA Ismael Ayodele Ayanda
38 FW  NGA Alade Muyiwa Balogun
38 FW  NGA Ibrahim Sodiq Tunde
38 FW  NGA Promise Awonsanmi Abiodun
38 FW  NGA TimiTimi Ineikade Nelson
38 FW  NGA Ohiobe Emmanuel Matthew

Notable coaches

Notable players

References

  1. "BBC SPORT – Football – African – Living for 'Shooting'". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  2. "About Ministry – Oyo State Government MDA". Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  3. "'I locked up dead body of my daughter in a room and escaped". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. 7 January 2021. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  4. Omachonu, Kelvin (16 June 2024). "NPFL: Flying Enugu Rangers claim eighth league title". Soccernet.ng. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  5. "Shooting Stars have no reason to fail promotion bid, says Balogun". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  6. "African Club Competitions 1976". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  7. "Shooting Stars top officials resign". Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  8. "3SC History". shootingstarssc.com. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  9. "Where are they now – The history making 1976 shooting stars squad?". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  1. "Players". shootingstarssportsclub.com. Retrieved 4 May 2026.