Al-Ameen’s Late Strike Rescues Shooting Stars in Chaotic 3–2 Win Over Wikki Tourists
Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) secured a dramatic but nervy 3–2 victory over Wikki Tourists at the Lekan Salami Stadium, surviving two equalisers before Tijani Al-Ameen’s late goal finally sealed the win.
The Nigeria Premier Football League encounter swung wildly from start to finish, with the Oluyole Warriors struggling to hold on to their advantage despite twice taking the lead.
Shooting Stars started brightly and were rewarded in the 16th minute when Sodiq Ibrahim broke the deadlock, finishing calmly to put the hosts ahead and spark celebrations among the home supporters.
However, the lead lasted only briefly. Wikki Tourists responded with renewed intensity and restored parity in the 35th minute after capitalising on a defensive lapse to make it 1–1.
The hosts quickly regained momentum. In the 40th minute, Gbolagade Adelowo replaced Desmond Ojietefian as the technical crew sought fresh energy in defense.
Just before halftime, Shooting Stars reclaimed the lead. Lucky Emmanuel struck in the 44th minute to give the Ibadan side a 2–1 advantage heading into the break after the referee signalled for halftime in added time.
Earlier in stoppage time, Justice Apaingolo had been introduced for Tijani Kabir, another tactical move aimed at stabilising the team.
The second half resumed with high intensity. Wikki Tourists were shown a yellow card in the 47th minute for a foul on Lucky Emmanuel, but the visitors soon found their rhythm again.
Their persistence paid off in the 53rd minute when they levelled the score once more, making it 2–2 and silencing the home crowd.
Shooting Stars responded with a double substitution in the 65th minute as Adegoke Qamar replaced Ayodele Ismail, while Adebayo Abayomi and Adams Mustapha later came on for Sodiq Ibrahim and Gali Falke in the 72nd minute.
The match remained tense as both sides searched for the winner. Wikki Tourists nearly turned the game around, but goalkeeper Godgift produced a crucial save in the 76th minute to keep the hosts in the contest.
Seven minutes later, Lucky Emmanuel had a golden opportunity to restore Shooting Stars’ lead, but his effort failed to hit the target.
Just when the match appeared destined for a draw, Tijani Al-Ameen delivered the decisive moment. The hard tackling defender struck in the 88th minute to make it 3–2, sending the home crowd into celebration and sealing a hard-fought victory for the Oluyole Warriors.
Despite claiming all three points, the performance left much to be desired as Shooting Stars were forced to dig deep after being pegged back twice by the determined visitors.