Adekanmbi Backs Shooting Stars With ₦2.7m Support, Hails Club’s Resurgence

IBADAN — The 2027 Oyo State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, has thrown his weight behind Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), announcing a financial support package of ₦2.7 million to encourage the Oluyole Warriors as they embark on a new football campaign.

Adekanmbi announced the support following Shooting Stars’ impressive 2–1 victory over Inter Lagos in their opening Nigeria Premier Football League fixture at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, on Friday. The victory was secured through goals from Lucky Emmanuel and Sodiq Ibrahim.

The former Oyo State Commissioner also pledged ₦200,000 for the two goals scored in the encounter, while promising ₦500,000 to support the purchase of 1,000 regular match tickets.

In addition, Adekanmbi announced a further ₦2 million contribution towards the club’s CAF Confederation Cup campaign, as Shooting Stars prepare for their return to continental football after a 27-year absence.

The gesture comes at a significant moment for the Ibadan-based club, which finished third in the 2025/26 NPFL season to secure Nigeria’s ticket to the CAF Confederation Cup. The achievement marked the club’s first return to continental competition since 1999.

Adekanmbi, while expressing confidence in the direction of the club, reportedly assured stakeholders that “the club is in safe hands”, adding that he hoped the current administration would build on the progress already recorded.

His intervention comes as Shooting Stars seek to consolidate their recent resurgence both domestically and on the continent. The club has already undergone significant changes ahead of the new season, including the appointment of veteran coach Salisu Yusuf, as it targets success in the NPFL, Federation Cup and CAF Confederation Cup.

The club's continental campaign is particularly significant for supporters, although its CAF home fixtures will be played outside Ibadan because the Lekan Salami Stadium is not currently among the Nigerian venues approved by CAF for international matches. The club has selected the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta for its continental home games.

Adekanmbi’s gesture has consequently added a political dimension to the growing conversation around sports development in Oyo State, highlighting the potential role of private citizens and political actors in supporting sporting institutions and youth development.

For many football followers, however, the immediate focus remains on the pitch: whether the renewed backing and administrative stability can help the Oluyole Warriors translate their recent progress into sustained success at home and on the African continent.