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.
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.
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. 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 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, becoming the first Nigerian clubside to win an international trophy.
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.
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. 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.
Return to continental football (2025–26) Shooting Stars ended a 27 years absence from continental football, after needing help from Rangers International on the last day when Rangers Int'l defeated Ikorodu city who were also poised to secure a continental slot with only a draw but lost by 1-2 to Rangers who emerged as league champions for the 2025-26 Nigeria Premier League football season. The result meant that despite Shooting Stars loss to Niger Tornadoes on the last day, they still managed to secure a return to the continent since 1999
Crest
Honours
Domestic Nigerian Premier League Winners (5): 1976, 1980, 1983, 1995, 1998 Nigerian FA Cup Winners (8): 1959, 1961, 1966, 1969, 1971 (as WNDC), 1977, 1979, 1995
Continental African Cup of Champions Clubs Runners-up (1): 1984, 1996 CAF Cup Winners (1): 1992 African Cup Winners' Cup Winners (1): 1976
Regional West African Club Championship Winners (1): 1998
Performance in CAF competitions African Cup of Champions Clubs/CAF Champions League: 5 appearances 1972 – Second Round 1981 – Second Round 1984 – Runners-up 1996 – Runners-up 1999 – Group stage
CAF Cup: 3 appearances 1992 – Champion 1993 – First Round 1995 – Second Round
CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 4 appearances 1976 – Champion 1977 – Semi-finals 1978 – First Round 1980 – Quarter-finals
Current Squad As of 4 May, 2026
Technical Staff +NamePositionSalisu YusufTechnical AdviserBashiru Muhammad SaiduChief CoachAli KandilTechnical ConsultantShakiru LawalAsst. Head CoachAdedeji Ayeoba GabrielAsst. Head Coach/U-19 CoachGopar CorneliusGoalkeeper TrainerKolawole IgeGoalkeeper TrainerLawrence AdedejiAssistant CoachWaheed OmololuAsst. CoachAbdulsalam HabeebPsychologistJesse AfuyeMatch and Performance Analyst
Notable coaches Alan Hawkes Franklin Howard Akintola Idowu Yusuf Lati Festus Onigbinde Tayo Oloniyo Siegfried Bahner Jossy Ladipo Fatai Amoo Edith Olumide Agoye Niyi Akande
Notable players Segun Odegbami Duke Udi Junior Ajayi Abiodun Baruwa Mutiu Adepoju Mudashiru Lawal Ajibade Babalade Felix Owolabi Rashidi Yekini Idowu Otubusen (Slow Poison) Alao Dabani Godwin Adewale Yusuff Alani Opeoluwa Olufemi Ebuka Anaekwe Omar Rekik Best Ogedegbe
References
External links
Shooting Stars Squad list Shooting Stars Results – current results of Shooting Stars matches