NPFL: Ex-Super Eagles coach linked with Shooting Stars job

NPFL club Shooting Stars are currently searching for a new head coach after parting ways with Nurudeen Aweroro earlier this week, and a former Super Eagles coach could be their man Soccernet.ng reports.

​Last season, the Oluyole Warriors appointed Aweroro to replace Gbenga Ogunbote, who had led the team for nearly three years. Aweroro enjoyed a stellar debut campaign, guiding the club to a third-place finish and securing their first appearance in continental football in 27 years.

​They finished just eight points behind champions Enugu Rangers, but despite his impressive start, the club opted to cut ties with him.

​In an interview published on the official NPFL website, Aweroro revealed that the club decided to let him go because they felt he would be unable to juggle the rigorous demands of both domestic and continental football.

​”When they reached out to me about mutually agreeing to part ways, I told the chairman I expected this a long time ago. I was told they didn’t want me anymore because I wouldn’t be able to meet the demands of playing in the NPFL and on the continent. And I accepted the decision,” Aweroro said.

​Aweroro's departure has left a significant void at the Lekan Salami Stadium, prompting an urgent search for a successor.

​Ex-Super Eagles Coach Could Take Over at Shooting Stars

​With the new Nigeria Premier Football League season set to kick off in about two weeks, Shooting Stars are under pressure to appoint a new manager swiftly.

​According to NPFL analyst Mike the Pundit, the club have set their sights on Imama Amapakabo. The 57-year-old tactician famously led Enugu Rangers to the league title in 2016, though he has not replicated that feat since.

​He has been in charge at Abia Warriors since 2024, guiding them to a respectable seventh-place finish in the Nigerian top flight. Amapakabo also brings international experience, having served as a Super Eagles assistant coach and managed the Nigeria U23 national team, albeit with limited success in the latter role.

​Nonetheless, he remains one of the most experienced managers in the country.

​The primary hurdle, however, will be negotiating Amapakabo's release from Abia Warriors. If talks stall, another former Super Eagles coach, Salisu Yusuf, remains a viable alternative on their shortlist.