Nigerian Football
AHEAD 2019 NIGERIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE: GOAL POACHERS ON THE WATCH LIST
BY FISAYO DAIRO.
Exactly seven months after the last ball was kicked in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), the new league season will get underway in various cities across the country on Sunday.
The movements, the action, the intrigues and most especially,
the goals, which have been missed by fans of the beautiful game in Nigeria,
will dominate every sphere once again.
When the new season kicks off on Sunday, three former winners of the NPFL’s
highest goal-scorer award will be among attackers that will be saddled with the
responsibility of deciding games with their goals and bringing those shouts and
chants which accompany the art of goal scoring to the lips of spectators at
different venues.
As is the norm in all parts of the world, teams have reinforced their playing
staff ahead of the new season. The unwanted chaff from previous seasons have
been weeded out while new brides are expected to emerge from the recruits ahead
of what promises to a very difficult though abridged season.
Here, www.npfl.ng takes
a look at four categories of the players that a late Heartland coach Kelechi
Emeteole once described as the “18-yard assassins”.
The former winners
One of the headline transfers of the new season is that of former Enyimba
striker Mfon Udoh who returned to his hometown club Akwa United after a largely
successful five years in Aba. Udoh holds the NPFL goal scoring record after his
23-goal haul in 2014 and he is certainly one of the strikers that should give
defenders plenty to think about this season.
While Udoh emerged as top scorer both in the NPFL and the CAF Champions League
during his stay in Aba, the top scoring honour currently belongs to Junior Sewanu
Lokosa of Kano Pillars who scored a phenomenal nineteen goals in twenty-three
matches last term. Lokosa is a genuine fox-in-the-box whose goals do not look
like drying up anytime soon. Should he hold off the lure of a move abroad this
January, Lokosa will be a marked man in the league but that is when to really
prove he is no fluke.
Godwin Obaje is another name in this category having won the top scorer’s gong
in 2016 while with Wikki Tourists of Bauchi. The striker has now joined Plateau
United from FC Ifeanyiubah where he spent the last two seasons. Obaje scored
fourteen goals in his debut season in Nnewi before scoring four more last term.
In Jos, he has reunited with his former coach Abdu Maikaba under whom he
blossomed at Wikki. It will surely not be out of place to expect good things
from him.
The recently consistent ones
Quite a few players have seen their goalscoring return improve consistently in
each of the past few seasons. One of such players is Ndifreke Effiong who just
like Mfon Udoh has made the switch from Abia state to his home club, Akwa
United. Effiong started out as a right back in the league but has now
completely metamorphosed into an attacker, scoring five goals in 2017 and eight
goals last term. Time to see if he keeps to the arithmetic progression in Uyo.
Sunday Adetunji has joined Champions League campaigners Lobi Stars from Abia
Warriors and the forward will be hoping to make his first full season since
2017 count. Adetunji had scored fourteen goals in 2017 before a sorrowful
shoulder injury on Match Day 33 ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
He only came back to action late last season and scored four goals in his short
stint with Enyimba in the Champions League and AITEO Cup.
Adetunji’s teammate at Lobi Stars Sikiru Alimi is also one to look out for in
the new season if perhaps he remains with the side after the January transfer
window. Having scored six league goals in 2017, Alimi stepped it up last term
and had already scored seven goals before Match Day 24. This season, he has
been instrumental to Lobi’s progress in the CAF Champions League where he has
netted three goals in three matches.
Up North, Nyima Nwagua is another forward capable of adding more to his
goalscoring tally with Kano Pillars this term. Nwagua proved to be a perfect
foil for Lokosa last season while also scoring four goals on his own. The
Rivers state born forward no doubt has the talent and the physicality to be
among the headliners in the upcoming season.
The Veterans’ club
Bendel Insurance legend Charles Omokaro showed what he can still do at the NNL
Super Eight playoffs with two well-taken goals. The forward who also scored a
handful during the regular NNL season last term will lead the veterans of war
into the goalscoring battle this term.
Another veteran of note is David Tyavkase, a member of the 2003 & 2004 CAF
Champions League winning side of Enyimba who still turns out for his hometown
club Lobi Stars. Though the goals are drying up for the talented man, he scored
twice last season and will be hoping to add more goals this term.
Kabiru Sanusi of Kada City, Gambo Mohammed of Kano Pillars, Adamu Muhammed of
Gombe United are other veterans of the NPFL ready for this season’s action.
The rest
All eyes will be on Enyimba forward Chinedu Udechukwu. The striker was missing
from the league last season after scoring eleven (11) goals for Katsina United
and a failed move to Rivers United. Nasarawa United’s rising prospect Ikechukwu
Nwani who scored five goals last term has looked increasingly sharp in
pre-season and this might just be his season.
Victor Mbaoma might be disappointed with his goals return in the NPFL last term
with Akwa United – five – but he will expect to do greater things with newly
promoted Remo Stars, where he scored ten (10) goals in his debut NPFL season in
2017.
Osita Chikere was prominent for Rivers United on his return from abroad last
season and will surely expect to score more than his four goals return this
term. There is a certain Samuel Stone at Go Round who joined from Ikorodu
United while Stephen Alfred and Samson Obi who scored nine goals each for Kwara
United and Abia Warriors respectively last season will hope to do greater
things in the league in 2019.
Nigerian Football
Naze Community to Honour Late Super Eagles Legend Henry Nwosu with ‘Clash of Titans’ Novelty Match
By Joseph Odoekwu
The Naze community in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State will on Sunday, April 5, stage a novelty football match in honour of their late son and former Super Eagles midfielder, Henry Nwosu.
The event, tagged “The Clash of Titans,” will see Naze All Stars square off against Imo Football Legends at the Naze Secondary School field, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. on Easter Sunday.
Details of the tribute match emerged following a training session held on Thursday morning at the venue, where former players and participants in the long-running Henry Nwosu Cup resolved to take the lead in celebrating the legacy of the late football icon.
Naze All Stars will be made up of indigenes of the community who have featured in the Henry Nwosu Cup since its inception in 1985, while the Imo Football Legends side will parade notable ex-footballers from across the state.
The Ikuku Oma Foundation is organising the match in collaboration with the Naze Football Federation as part of activities to immortalise Nwosu, whose grassroots initiative transformed local football in the community.
Since its establishment over four decades ago, the Henry Nwosu Cup—played annually during the Christmas period—has grown into a major unifying and entertainment platform for Naze and neighbouring communities such as Ulakwo, Agbala and Egbu. Beyond football, the competition has also fostered social bonds, with several marriages reportedly stemming from relationships formed on matchdays.
There are also strong indications that Heartland FC manager and former Super Eagles winger, Emmanuel Amuneke, could lead the Imo Football Legends side in Sunday’s encounter, adding further glamour to the occasion.
Members of the Naze All Stars who have confirmed participation include Ikuku Oma, Prof. Joe-Ken Nzerem, Ejike Urewuji, Nda Gboko, Oga Ekete, Oga Sarge, Oga Cho Cho, Man of God, Baba Urch, Oga Eshi ke Naze, Chief Agba I, Mmiri the Crown Prince (goalkeeper), Mr. Obiọma, Alkaline, among others.
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The Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday inaugurated its Electoral Committee and Electoral Appeals Committee ahead of elections into its Executive Committee for the 2026–2030 term.
NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau performed the inauguration at the federation’s secretariat in Abuja, charging members to carry out their responsibilities with integrity, neutrality and professionalism.
Gusau urged the committees to discharge their duties without bias, stressing the importance of credibility in a process that will shape the future leadership of Nigerian football.
Speaking on behalf of the committees, Matthew Burka’a assured stakeholders that the exercise would meet the highest standards of transparency and fairness.
“We will approach this task with the seriousness it deserves. On behalf of all the members, I assure the NFF, football-loving Nigerians and the world at large that we are going to conduct a free, fair, credible and acceptable election,” Burka’a said.
He added that the committees were mindful of the global attention on the process, including from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football, and pledged to deliver what could become a benchmark for future elections within and beyond football administration.
Committee Composition
The Electoral Committee comprises Matthew Burka’a (SAN), Alhaji Babagoni Grema, Bature Musa, Ayibaye Peter Great Temedie and Akogun Olugbenga Omole, with Arinze Azubuike Anughele and Abayomi Akin Omoyimi serving as alternate members.
The Electoral Appeals Committee is made up of Hon. Justice C. J. Aneke, Benjamin Sati and Professor Abdulmalik Awwal, with FIFA Emmanuel Dada Obafemi and Ayi Ekpo Ukpayam listed as alternates.
In line with NFF statutes, the General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, will serve as secretary to both committees.
Election Date Fixed
The NFF also confirmed that elections into its Executive Committee will take place on September 26, 2026, in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by key stakeholders, including Philip Shaibu, NFF First Vice President Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Executive Committee members Silas Agara and George Aluo, alongside senior management and staff of the federation.
With preparations now formally underway, attention will turn to the electoral process as stakeholders await what has been promised as a transparent and credible exercise to usher in a new leadership era for Nigerian football.
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Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, will rekindle rivalries with Poland and Portugal in high-profile international friendlies scheduled for June, marking only the second time the Nigerian team will meet the two nations at the senior level.
The fixtures come on the back of Nigeria’s recent international outings in Antalya, Turkey, where they defeated Iran and held World Cup-bound Jordan to a 2-2 draw, signalling renewed optimism within the squad despite missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to the Nigeria Football Federation, the Super Eagles will first take on Poland on June 3 at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw, before travelling to Portugal for a second clash on June 10 at a venue yet to be confirmed.
Renewing Rivalries
Nigeria’s previous encounter with Poland remains a positive memory. On March 23, 2018, the Super Eagles secured a 1-0 victory in Wroclaw, courtesy of a 61st-minute penalty converted by Victor Moses after he was fouled in the box. The match served as preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
However, their only senior meeting with Portugal tells a different story. On November 17, 2022, Nigeria suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to the European side in Lisbon, with Bruno Fernandes scoring twice, while Gonçalo Ramos and João Mário added further goals in a dominant display.
That result remains one of Nigeria’s most crushing defeats the Super Eagles have ever suffered since the 1998 5-1 loss to the Netherlands.
Portugal’s World Cup Tune-Up
The upcoming clash will also serve as a crucial preparatory fixture for the Portugal national football team, who will head into the game as part of their final build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
For Nigeria, however, the matches represent an opportunity to test themselves against elite opposition and rebuild confidence after missing out on the global showpiece.
Beyond the June friendlies, the Super Eagles are also scheduled to participate in the Unity Cup Tournament in London from May 26 to 30, where they will defend their title. The traditional teams of the tournament include Ghana and Jamaica.
The combination of competitive fixtures and high-level friendlies is expected to provide the head coach and technical crew with a broader platform to assess players and refine tactics ahead of future international engagements.
With mixed results in recent outings but flashes of promise, the upcoming matches against Poland and Portugal could prove pivotal in shaping Nigeria’s next phase on the international stage.
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