Shooting Stars secured a narrow 1-0 victory over CS Sfaxien in the first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup on Saturday, 5 September 2026, with Lucky Emmanuel’s first-half goal giving the Nigerian side a slender lead to take into the return match in Tunisia.
The decisive moment came in the 25th minute at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Ibadan, where Shooting Stars made the most of an intense opening period to move in front.
Known as the Oluyole Warriors, the home side produced the breakthrough when Emmanuel found the net to reward their early efforts. His goal proved enough to settle a closely contested match and hand Shooting Stars an important result in the opening leg of the tie.
CS Sfaxien, who are widely known by the nickname the Ceistes, attempted to respond after falling behind. However, the Tunisian visitors were unable to find a way through a compact Shooting Stars defence.
The Nigerian team protected its advantage for the remainder of the contest, ensuring that Emmanuel’s strike remained the only goal of the match. The victory gives Shooting Stars a narrow cushion before the decisive second meeting, which will be played in Tunisia in one week.
Although the margin is limited, the result represents a valuable home win for the Oluyole Warriors. They will now travel for the return leg knowing that CS Sfaxien must overturn the deficit to progress.
For CS Sfaxien, the challenge is to convert their attempts to react into goals in the next match. Shooting Stars, meanwhile, will seek to preserve the advantage created by Emmanuel’s goal and complete the tie over the two legs.
The outcome leaves the Nigerian club with the upper hand after the first encounter, but the contest remains open ahead of the return in Tunisia.