The Top 5 Strikers Of Nigeria Professional Football League(NPFL) In 2015
|Goal.com recently released their Top 5 strikers of this season and we decided to showcase it to Nigerians on this platform.
Like we said in the former article featuring the Top 5 Goalkeepers the Nigeria Football League is progressing, maybe you should start following it, you can actually go watch live matches in stadiums if any is being played in your area, you would surely love it.
In the meantime you should see the top 5 strikers in Nigeria of this season according to Goal.com
Gbolahan Salami – Warri Wolves |
Salami’s goalscoring form both puts him in strong contention for the golden shoe award, and Warri Wolves for the league title.
After his brief loan switch at
Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade, Salami returned to Wolves and began firing
on all cylinders. Salami’s consistent goalscoring form has been a
regular characteristic of the striker for some campaigns; in the
2013/2014 season he netted 18 goals for Wolves, having scored 13 goals
in only 10 games the season before.
With several braces, he has already
notched up 14 goals this season – one behind leading scorer Esosa
Igbinoba of Nasarawa United. Salami starred in the bronze-winning
campaign of the home-based Eagles in South Africa last year, netting
twice.
Paul Aigbogun’s men are the richest
goalscoring side in the league, and the former Shooting Stars man has
been influential in this superb campaign. Enyimba could have claimed the
title with five games left to play, but for the unrelenting scoring
form of Salami, who recentl scored in the 1-1 away draw against Enugu
Rangers to keep the Warri outfit in the race for the title.
It’s little surprise that Sunday
Oliseh has turned to Salami to lead the home-based Eagles in their
upcoming Chan qualifier against Burkina Faso.
Chisom Chikatara – Abia Warriors |
Chikatara’s consistent form has shaped Abia Warriors’ campaign and places him among the division’s finest frontmen.
After joining the Warriors of Umuahia
in 2012 at the age of 17, Super ‘S’ inspired their promotion a year
later, netting 21 goals and making him the top scorer in the second tier
in 2013.
His speed on the ball, dribbling
ability and prolific finishing make him one of the hottest prospects,
and he has scored 13 goals this season, including his hat-trick against
Rangers. He’s already managed five more than last term and while Abia
Warriors remain outside the top four, Chikatara has demonstrated that he
belongs at a top club.
He sits only two goals behind leading
scorer Igbinoba and will hope to impress for the home-based Super Eagles
during the 2016 Chan…if they get there!
Tunde Adeniji – Sunshine Stars |
If any player deserves kudos for
Sunshine Stars’ overall consistent campaign this season, Tunde Adeniji
must top the commendation list with his incredible attacking drive for
the Owena Waves.
His impressive goal-getting form was
hugely instrumental to his side’s stay at the summit for most of the
first half of the campaign. Adeniji, a product of Ondo State Football
Agency youth team Rising Stars, is justifying the huge five-year long
investment the Ondo outfit made in him, as he had already notched up 35
goals in 65 appearances since 2013.
After Dele Olorundare failed to
impress this season, Adeniji stepped up to the plate and never looked
back, racking up 14 goals to keep the former Akure Gunners in the title
mix.
A week after their infamous 2-1 home
collapse to Nasarawa United in the second stanza, the Akure-born prodigy
inspired 2-1 away win at Kwara United to recover Sunshine Stars’ title
dreams. The outcome in Ilorin highlights his huge contribution, and
Adeniji has been influential as his side have snatched 10 points on the
road.
Anthony Okpotu – Lobi Stars |
The Pride of Benue may have struggled
for much their campaign this season, but Okpotu, who dumped Libya’s
Al-Ittihad after just two seasons, has been pivotal in Lobi Stars’
season-long title push with his aggression, pace, intelligence and
strength.
The 21-year-old has shined brightly in
the second part of the season, and received the League Blogger Award
for September after missing out in July.
The former Nigeria U20 star has netted
10 goals so far this term – six of them in August alone – including two
on the road which secured three straight wins for Justin Tenger’s men.
He also fired Stars to the 2015 Federation Cup final, and Lobi will need
their man to be at his best if they are both to escape relegation and
lift the domestic cup.
Mubarak Umar – Wikki Tourists |
Wikki Tourists finished fourth at the
NNL Super Four held in Ilorin, but amazingly, as a newly promoted side,
they have managed to keep their foot in top three throughout the
season.
Alhough some kudos must go to Godwin
Obaje, Victor Yakubu and Uche Martins, the Bauchi outfit will be
most thankful to Umar, as his contributions cannot be overlooked.
Since returning to the elite division
in 2014, Wikki would not be considered as title contenders had Umar’s 10
goals been removed from their overall tally of 37. Aside from goals, he
has been an inspirational presence for Abdul Maikaba’s side this term
and even on his rare off days, he knows how to trouble defenders.
It may not be pretty, but Umar has been effective, and has regularly plundered valuable goals this term.