Shooting Stars head coach Salisu Yusuf has praised his players for their quick adaptation to his tactical philosophy after guiding the Oluyole Warriors to a 2-1 victory over Inter Lagos in their opening match of the EuroMatch Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) 2026/2027 season.
Speaking in a post-match interview with Sports247, Yusuf also commended the atmosphere at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, describing it as a proper football environment driven by the passion of the supporters and commitment of the club’s stakeholders.
“The atmosphere was good. It was a proper football atmosphere where you could see the passion and love the fans have for the team, as well as the commitment of the various stakeholders in charge of the club,” Yusuf said.
The experienced tactician, who had only joined the team about a week before their opening fixture, believes significant progress is already being made in how the players approach matches.
According to him, the players are beginning to control games better and circulate the ball more effectively, a key component of his coaching philosophy.
“Yes. The players are now able to control games better compared to what they played last season. They are circulating the ball more effectively, which is vital to my coaching philosophy. I believe that within a short period, the players will be able to perform at an even higher standard,” he added.
Attention now turns to a major continental assignment as Shooting Stars prepare to face Tunisian side CS Sfaxien in Abeokuta. The encounter will mark a historic return of continental football to the city after 27 years.
Yusuf revealed that he intends to trust the same group of players who featured against Inter Lagos, expressing confidence in their individual and collective abilities.
He was particularly pleased with the team’s tactical response after conceding an equaliser. While Inter Lagos created several attacking opportunities down the left side after restoring parity, Yusuf said his players successfully addressed the problem after the interval.
“In the second half, they had no such opportunities. The players were quick to adapt to the tactical instructions, and that made me very happy,” he concluded.
