Shooting Stars technical adviser Salisu Yusuf is confident his side will improve as the season progresses, Completesports.com reports.

The Oluyole Warriors opened their 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over newly promoted Inter Lagos at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan on Friday.

Lucky Emmanuel put Shooting Stars ahead in the 14th minute, but the visitors responded nine minutes later through Adigun Damilare, who finished off a well-delivered cross into the box.

Sodiq Ibrahim restored the hosts’ advantage from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time, with the goal eventually proving to be the winner.

Read Also:NPFL: Yusuf Vows To Make Shooting Stars Better, More Competitive

Shooting Stars had an opportunity to extend their lead late in the encounter, but substitute Mustapha Adams failed to convert another penalty.

Yusuf Reflects On Narrow Victory

Despite the narrow nature of the victory, Yusuf expressed satisfaction with the result and believes his players will become stronger as they get more competitive matches under their belts.

The experienced tactician maintained that there is still room for improvement and expects the team’s performances to get better as the campaign progresses.

“It’s step by step. I think we will play better than this with more matches. We’ve been together for a short time, and we have this result. If we have one month, you can imagine what to expect,” Yusuf said after the game.

“They will continue to improve. That is my belief.”

By Adeboye Amosu