Ibadan’s Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) entered the 2024/2025 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season with renewed ambition. From languishing in 14th place, the Oluyole Warriors surged to 3rd before the mid-season break, leaving fans dreaming of continental glory. Coach Gbenga Ogunbote, revered as “The Oracle,” was hailed for orchestrating one of the league’s most impressive turnarounds. But just months later, that optimism has soured. The second stanza has exposed deep cracks, and now everyone is asking: Who is truly responsible?
Coach Ogunbote himself hasn’t hidden from the team’s issues, especially in front of the goal. “We are condemned to get centre-forward players. In that area, we are completely deficient, so we need to solve it,” he lamented, as reported by https://naifooty.com.ng. Despite a commendable defensive record in the first half, 3SC managed just 18 goals in 19 matches, less than a goal per game. Even during their unbeaten streak, the inability to kill off games foreshadowed later problems. The coach’s admission sparked debates: has Ogunbote done his best with a limited squad, or has he failed to adapt tactically?
While fingers were being pointed at the bench, the club’s management dealt a heavier blow—3SC was disqualified from the 2025 President’s Federation Cup for fielding five ineligible players with forged licenses. According to Sports247 Nigeria and Daily Post, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) ruled the club out of the tournament, citing gross administrative negligence. “The expulsion wasn’t about performance; it was a structural failure,” an insider close to the NFF revealed. The fallout left fans embarrassed, questioning the competence and integrity of the club’s hierarchy.
The supporters are the bedrock of 3SC’s identity, and they have not been spared from scrutiny either. While their passion is undeniable, frustration has boiled over into criticism of the coach and players, and sometimes disrupting the stadium’s peace via violence. Following a humbling 0-1 loss to Remo Stars and a draw with Ikorodu City FC in Ibadan, Ogunbote admitted, “It’s unfortunate we’re facing this defeat at this time. We did everything humanly possible, but sometimes we have careless moments.” (PM News Nigeria). Chants calling for managerial changes have rung out at Lekan Salami Stadium, and murmurs within the camp suggest the pressure from the stands is beginning to seep into the dressing room.
Statistically, the second stanza decline is stark, starting from Kwara United Fc loss in Ilorin. 3SC’s average possession in the attacking third has dropped by 22%, and their shot conversion rate is among the lowest in the top half of the table. While these numbers point to technical failings, some analysts argue that limited funding and poor transfer market planning/scouting are the issues stemming from the boardroom, which are the real culprits. The coach did sign a bunch of players at midseason to amplify existing weaknesses, but the result is not up to show, and in a league as competitive as the NPFL, such gaps are mercilessly exploited.
Yet, some say the club’s predicament is not about what is happening now, but what has not happened for years. A former club official who asked to remain anonymous told Owosports.com.ng, “The club has never truly rebuilt. Every season, it’s short-term thinking, patchwork work, and prayers. That’s not how a club of 3SC’s pedigree should be run.”
Others urge a more collective perspective. “It’s a system failure,” said a fan on X (formerly Twitter). “The coach needs better players, the management needs oversight, and the fans need to understand this is a process. We either fix this together or fail together.”
So, where does the truth lie? In a fractured dressing room? In a careless boardroom? Or in the restless energy of a passionate fanbase desperate for glory? Shooting Stars’ second-half slump is likely the result of all three, a perfect storm of poor planning, administrative failure, and unsustainable pressure.
As the league winds down and the points become precious, Shooting Stars face a critical junction. Do they rally together and course correct, or implode further under the weight of expectations and disarray?
One thing is certain: The soul-searching must begin now. Because for a club as historic as 3SC, mid-table mediocrity is not just failure, it’s sacrilege.
