'A good one for the NPFL' - Shooting Stars midfielder excited to be named in Unity Cup squad

Shooting Stars midfielder Ayobami Junior has expressed excitement after receiving his maiden invitation to the Super Eagles squad ahead of the upcoming Unity Cup tournament in London.

The 27-year-old, who has been one of the standout performers for Shooting Stars in the Nigeria Premier Football League this season, earned a place in coach Eric Chelle’s squad for the four-nation competition scheduled to take place later this month.

Ayobami’s consistent displays in midfield, coupled with his technical quality, intelligent movement, and work rate, reportedly caught the attention of the Super Eagles technical crew during scouting missions across the NPFL campaign.

Reacting to the invitation in a video shared on X, the former Kwara United midfielder described the call-up as a dream come true and vowed to make the most of the opportunity.

“It is every player's dream to represent his country,” Ayobami said. “When I got the invitation, I was so excited and it was left for me to go and prove myself.”

The midfielder further stated that the inclusion of players from the domestic league would provide them with a platform to prove the quality and talent available in the NPFL.

“Like seven of us were invited and it is a good one for the NPFL. We could tell that there are good and quality players in the NPFL.”

Ayobami further underlined his impressive form by scoring in Shooting Stars’ 2-1 victory over Kebbi United in the FA Cup on Wednesday.

Other NPFL stars named in the Unity Cup squad include Tosin Oyedokun, Aderemi Adeoye, and Michael Atata of Ikorodu City, as well as Chibueze Oputa and Obinna Igboke of Rangers International, alongside Elias Ochobi from Rivers United.