Football psychologist Kehinde Adeyemi has appealed to supporters of Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan to remain calm over the team’s slow start to the season and stop personal attacks on Sporting Director Tobi Adepoju and head coach Salisu Yusuf.
Adeyemi said the Oluyole Warriors should not be written off after only seven matches, stressing that there is still enough time for the team to recover and compete for a strong finish.
While acknowledging supporters’ frustration over dropped points, particularly at home, he said disappointing results should not become grounds for personal attacks on members of the club’s technical setup.
Adeyemi, who described himself as Nigeria’s only English FA-trained football psychologist, said Adepoju’s responsibilities as sporting director are largely advisory and administrative, including ensuring that the club recruits the right personnel.
“The Sporting Director does not sit on the bench with the coaches, so he should not be targeted,” he said.
The psychologist, who is also Director of Sports at Olabisi Onabanjo University, said he shares the disappointment felt by supporters whenever Shooting Stars fail to win.
“Football is very emotional. Even today, I won’t be able to sleep,” he said.
He, however, urged fans to remain patient, noting that with 31 matches left, the team still has an opportunity to turn its season around.
According to him, qualification for continental football depends on how strongly a club finishes the campaign, rather than how well it begins.
Adeyemi added that players and coaches also feel the consequences of poor results, including missing out on win bonuses, and are equally eager to secure victories.
Assessing the team’s performances, he identified poor finishing as the major concern, arguing that Shooting Stars have continued to create scoring opportunities but have struggled to convert them.
He said the situation would be more worrying if the team were unable to create chances, expressing confidence that improved conversion could bring better results.
Adeyemi also backed Yusuf to guide the club through its current difficulties, citing his experience across club and international football.
He said Yusuf’s coaching career spans more than two decades, with spells at Nasarawa United, Kano Pillars, Rangers International and Enyimba, as well as Coton Sport in Benin.
At national level, Yusuf has served as an assistant coach of the Super Eagles and handled the home-based national team and Nigeria’s Under-23 side. He also led the home-based Super Eagles to the final of the 2018 African Nations Championship in Morocco.
Adeyemi said the coach’s knowledge of Nigerian football and experience in developing local players would be valuable as Shooting Stars seek to improve their performances.
He urged supporters to channel their passion into constructive support and allow the technical team time to address the club’s shortcomings, insisting that the campaign should be assessed at its conclusion.
