Oyo APC chieftain lauds 3SC on CAF confederation cup qualification
May 25, 2026 2:49 pm
Shooting Stars
An All Progressives Congress chieftain in Oyo State and former Chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Kehinde Olaosebikan, has congratulated Shooting Stars Sports Club on qualifying to represent Nigeria in the 2026/2027 CAF Confederation Cup competition.
According to a statement he issued and personally signed on Monday, Olaosebikan said the qualification followed the club’s third-place finish in the Nigeria Premier Football League.
The result secured the Ibadan-based side a ticket to continental football next season.
Olaosebikan, in the statement, praised the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, the club chairman, Mr Taiwo Lekan Salami, and supporters of the team across Oyo State for the achievement.
He said, “The reign of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja Arusa 1 has restored the glory of Ibadan’s darling team.”
He added, “I recalled with nostalgia the blessing of the Olubadan at his Bodija residence on the players and management of 3SC shortly after he was announced as the new Imperial Majesty of Ibadanland.”
According to him, the monarch’s support has had a lasting impact on the club’s resurgence, noting that “the Olubadan’s blessing has now turned around the fortune of the football team.”
Olaosebikan urged stakeholders to sustain momentum as the club prepares for continental competition, stressing the need for stronger institutional and financial backing.
He said, “The team should utilise the qualification for the continental competition to bring greater glory and development to the growth of 3SC, soccer and sports generally in Oyo State.”
He also called on the Oyo State Government to provide adequate funding for the club’s CAF Confederation Cup campaign, while appealing to wealthy indigenes and residents of Ibadan to support the team with resources and incentives.
Shooting Stars Sports Club remains one of Nigeria’s most historic clubs, having won the African Winners Cup in 1976, the country’s first continental club triumph.
The Ibadan-based side secured a place in next season’s CAF Confederation Cup after finishing third in the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League, ending a 27-year absence from continental football despite a final-day 1-0 defeat to Niger Tornadoes.
They accumulated 60 points from 38 matches to clinch third place, finishing two points ahead of Ikorodu City, who ended the season in fourth position for the second consecutive campaign.
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