Obaje scores 100th NPFL goal, joins elite ranks

Rangers International striker Godwin Obaje is excited to have scored his 100th goal in the Nigeria Premier Football League. This achievement places him alongside Victor Ezeji and Rabiu Ali in the league’s 100-goal club, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Obaje hit this milestone with an 11th-minute penalty during Rangers’ 1-0 victory over Warri Wolves in Ozoro, Delta State, on Wednesday, September 30. The goal also helped the Flying Antelopes secure three points in a postponed match.

In an interview with PUNCH Sports Extra, Obaje expressed that this achievement is the result of many years of hard work. He said, “I feel very happy to have achieved this. It is something I have worked very hard to achieve.”

He mentioned that he did not focus on reaching this number when he started. “To be honest, I never thought of it. I just felt I should keep working hard to score as much as I can,” he added.

Being mentioned with two of the league’s top players made him proud. He said, “I am very happy to be listed among these great legends in the league. I am really honoured to be named among big names like this, and I will forever cherish this moment.”

At 30 years old, Obaje is now the third player to achieve this 100-goal milestone. He still has a way to go to catch the two players ahead of him. Ezeji, who retired as the most successful player in Nigerian league football, finished his NPFL career with 148 goals.

The Rivers State-born striker earned the league’s top-scorer award alongside Ghana’s Joetex Frimpong in 2002 after netting 16 goals. He has played for clubs like Sharks, Eagle Cement, Dolphins, Enyimba, Sunshine Stars, and Heartland, including a time at Tunisian side Club Africain.

Ezeji is known for winning two CAF Champions League titles with Enyimba and scoring the goal that secured the WAFU Cup for Sharks. He also played for the Super Eagles in 2004.

Rabiu Ali, who is the captain of Kano Pillars, has 144 goals and continues to score. The 46-year-old grew up in the Fagge area of Kano. His primary school friends nicknamed him “Mai Gida.”

Ali returned to Pillars in 2007 after playing for Nasarawa United and has become a key player for the club, which is popularly known as Sai Masu Gida. He also holds the title of the oldest professional player in Nigeria.

Obaje has scored his goals playing for five different clubs. He netted 25 goals for Wikki Tourists, where he won the 2016 Golden Boot with 18 goals. He scored 16 for FC Ifeanyi Ubah, one for Plateau United, and 23 for Abia Warriors. His current tally for Rangers is 35 goals.

Rangers celebrated him before kick-off on Sunday, when they beat Abia Warriors 3-1 at the Awka Township Stadium during Matchday Seven. The defending champions had lost 2-0 to Ikorodu City on Matchday Six, but they have now won two matches in a row.