By SCM Sports Desk I Sunday, Sept 20, 2026
JOS, NIGERIA — Shooting Stars were left seeing double as Plateau United mounted a sensational second-half fightback to claim a dramatic 3-1 victory in their Matchday 4 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) clash in Jos.
The Ibadan-based Shooting Stars came out with point-blank urgency, intent on shining bright away from home. They got off to a dream start in the 15th minute when striker Taheer Abubakar silenced the partisan crowd with a coolly taken opening goal, catching the Plateau defense napping to put Shooting Stars ahead 1-0.
For the remainder of the first half, the visiting Oluyole Warriors dictated terms, expertly containing Plateau’s probing attacks and taking their deserved 1-0 cushion into the interval.
However, the second half belonged entirely to the hosts as Plateau United transformed into an unstoppable force, putting Shooting Stars strictly on the back foot. Just five minutes after the restart, midfielder Jibrin Ibrahim restored parity in the 50th minute with a razor-sharp equalizer, making it 1-1 and swinging the momentum squarely in Plateau’s favor.
With the home fans roaring in full voice, Plateau kept pushing forward while Shooting Stars struggled to regain their composure.
The inevitable turnaround arrived in the 71st minute when forward Seiyefa Jackson completed the comeback, slotting home a precision strike to give Plateau United a 2-1 advantage.
Things went from bad to worse for Shooting Stars as their discipline unraveled late in the contest.
In the 83rd minute, defender Gbolagade Adelowo was shown a straight red card following a frantic challenge, reducing Shooting Stars to ten men and crushing any lingering hopes of an Ibadan fightback.
Plateau United capitalized immediately on their numerical superiority. Just three minutes later, in the 86th minute, Gideon Monday put the game completely out of reach by drilling home a third goal to seal a memorable 3-1 triumph for the Peace Boys.
The win propels Plateau United up to sixth place in the NPFL table with seven points from four matches.
Match Breakdown & Key Statistics
In terms of match flow and overall domain, Plateau United ultimately dominated every significant phase of play after an initial slow start.
The match yielded a total of four goals, with one converted in the first half and three netted during the second period. Shooting Stars managed only two shots on target across the entire ninety minutes, both coming during their lively opening half-hour spell.
Conversely, Plateau United unleashed nine total shot attempts, testing the opposition goalkeeper five times on target and generating three goals from their five second-half attempts.
Possession statistics reflected a tale of two halves. Shooting Stars controlled roughly fifty-four percent of the ball in the first forty-five minutes, utilizing smart passing lanes to keep Plateau pinned back. However, Plateau United roared back to claim sixty-two percent of second-half possession, completing over eighty percent of their passes in the final third.
Defensive discipline proved decisive down the stretch. A total of five yellow cards were issued during the match — three to Shooting Stars and two to Plateau United — before Gbolagade Adelowo received his match-defining red card in the eighty-third minute.
Plateau United also won seven corner kicks compared to just three for Shooting Stars, highlighting the sustained wide pressure that eventually dismantled the visiting defense.
