Premier League title sponsors Globacom have urged
strikers who ply their trade in the Nigerian topflight to improve their
exploits in front of goal.
The telecommunications company in a statement made
earlier in the week decried the inability of any striker in the League to
surpass the 20-goal mark set by Jude Aneke a few years ago.
The company also lamented the fact that after ten rounds
(now eleven) of games in the current season, Warri Wolves’ Gbolahan Salami and
Akwa United’s Nnamso Edo who jointly top the Scorers Chart have only scored
five goals apiece.
"It is not impossible for a striker to score as many
as 30 goals in a season in the modern game of football. We, therefore, call on
our strikers to re-invent themselves, score more goals and keep the league
alive," the company said in the statement.
"It is only a matter of determination and we believe
it is attainable. Worldwide, goals attract spectators and fans to the stadia
and the same thing should be encouraged in our league.
"We are aware of the several challenges Nigerian
footballers, including the strikers have had to contend with. However, as
professionals, they are duty-bound to make the difference. For a league rated
as one of the best in Africa, it becomes expedient for the strikers to live up
to expectation," the statement read.
Globacom therefore called on club managers, coaches and
other related stakeholders to work on the professionalism of their strikers to
curtail the worrisome trend.
"A situation where the most proficient forward in
the league cannot score more than 20 goals in a season calls for critical
scrutiny and this is where the clubs have huge roles to play in emphasising
professionalism among their strikers," the statement continued.
Former Nasarawa United striker, Victor Namo, who has now
joined Al Ittihad of Libya emerged top scorer last season with 18 goals,
thirteen of which were scored from the spot with only five from open play.
The second highest goal scorer Mfon Udoh of Akwa United
(now Enyimba) notched 15 goals, all from open play.
Culled from Kickoffnigeria
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