Shooting Stars Football Club of Ibadan have 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, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Ibadan-based side accumulated 60 points from 38 matches to clinch third place, finishing two points ahead of Ikorodu City, who ended the campaign in fourth position for the second consecutive season.

The result ensures Shooting Stars return to continental competition for the first time since 1999, when they featured in the CAF Champions League following their 1998 league triumph.

Their qualification is a significant milestone for a club that has endured decades of instability, including relegation on technical grounds after the turn of the millennium, four seasons outside the top flight before promotion in 2003, and further relegations in 2006, 2013 and 2017.

The latest success comes amid a major structural overhaul initiated ahead of the 2025/26 season by the Oyo State Government, which replaced the previous board with a corporate-led management model aimed at restoring the club’s competitiveness and continental standing.

Under the new structure, business executive Taiwo Lekan-Salami was appointed executive chairman with a mandate to drive a cultural reset and reduce reliance on government funding, while marketing specialist Bunmi Fadayomi was installed as chief operating officer to strengthen commercial operations and fan engagement.

Sports journalist and football administrator Tobi Adepoju was also brought in as sporting director to oversee recruitment and long-term squad development, following the departure of veteran coach Gbenga Ogunbote and a shift in tactical identity.

The final continental ticket from Nigeria will now be decided through the President Federation Cup, where both Shooting Stars and Ikorodu City remain in contention as the competition progresses to the round of 32. (The PUNCH)

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