Dearth of goal scorers in the NPL

Matches in football are won only when goals are scored. It is for this reason that prolific strikers are usually in hot demand by clubs that want to win laurels.Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who are clearly the world’s most expensive players are all strikers. So much money has been spent on them […]

Matches in football are won only when goals are scored. It is for this reason that prolific strikers are usually in hot demand by clubs that want to win laurels.
Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who are clearly the world’s most expensive players are all strikers. So much money has been spent on them but they in turn have always justified such huge wage bills by scoring the needed goals in addition to providing undiluted entertainment for football fans.
Interestingly, goals from Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge are steadily propelling Liverpool to their first EPL title in 24 years. While Suarez alone has scored a whopping 30 goals, his strike partner Sturridge has netted 20 times.
At the last count, over 918 goals have been scored in the 2013/2014 EPL season. As reported earlier, Luis Suarez has scored 30, Sturridge 20 and Yaya Toure of Manchester City 18.
In the La Liga, goal scoring machine, Cristiano Ronaldo tops the chart with a massive 28 goals, followed by Diego Da Silva Costa on 27 and Lionel Messi 26 goals. It is indeed a close race.
Mario Mandzukic of Bayern Munich has 18 goals, followed by Robert Lewandowski of Borussia Dortmund 18 goals just as Andrian Ramos, Hertha Berlin and Josip Drmic, 1.FC Nurnberg are on 16 goals each in the German Bundesliga.
On top of the goal chart in Serie A is Ciro Immobile of Torino 20 goals, Carlos Tevez , Juventus 18 goals and Luca Toni of Verona also on 18 goals.
In Ligue 1, bullish striker Zalatan Ibrahimovic of PSG is leading with 25 goals and Vincent Aboubakar of Lorient and Edinson Cavani also of PSG in the second and third positions with 16 and 15 goals respectively.
This shows that while in the major leagues across Europe, it has been ceaseless showers of goals for the usually enthusiastic fans, in the Nigerian domestic league, goals are hard to come by.
The total number of goals scored after 8 weeks of matches in the NPL will surely be less than 100. Most matches have ended in either barren draws or slim victories most times for the home teams.
For instance results of week 8 matches played on Wednesday saw Enyimba scoring the highest number of goals. The former African champions defeated visiting Lobi Stars of Makurdi 3-0. In other matches, Sunshine defeated FC Taraba 1-0, Dolphins beat Warri Wolves 1-0, Rangers piped Abia Warriors 2-1, Nembe City were held 1-1 by Heartland, El-kanemi squeezed through Crown 1-0, Kaduna United lost 1-2 at home to Sharks, Nasarawa managed 1-0 win over Gombe United just as league leaders Akwa United fell by 0-1 against Giwa FC in Jos.
The statistics show that out of nine matches played, only 16 goals were scored. There was only one away win and one draw. This means at all the match venues, the scanty fans who turned out had little or nothing to celebrate. 
At the moment, only three players, Warri Wolves Gbolahan Salami, Kaduna United’s Aminu Isah and Akwa United’s Namso Edo are on four goals in the league.
Funny enough, among players who have scored three goals is Lobi Stars goalkeeper Matthew Terkaa Melai. He is the one who has taken over the responsibility of converting Lobi Stars penalty kicks. Melai scored against Gombe United, Kaduna United and most recently Nembe City from the penalty spot.
The general feeling is that if a goalkeeper is among the leading goal scorers in a league that boasts of strikers like Sibi Gwar, Gbolahan Salami, Ifeanyi Ede, Bishop Onyenudo, Abdulraham Bashir, Nanen Imenger, Gambo Mohammed, Manir Ubale, Ejike Uzoenyi and a host of others, then something must be wrong somewhere.
Over time, strikers in the league have been goals shy. Last season former Nasarawa United striker, Victor Namo emerged the highest goal scorer in the league with 18 goals but almost half of the goals were from the spot.
Most football fans have expressed worry at this development but Lobi’s Melai in a chat with SHOT! insisted that there are still strikers in the league who are capable of scoring goals.
He said why most matches end in draws or slim victories is because teams honour away matches with the aim of getting a draw.
“Strikers are not scoring goals because visiting clubs refuse to play. Most clubs plan to play draw when they are playing away.
“In this case, you see all manners of delay tactics. And if half of the time is spent on play acting, when and where will the goals come?”, he asked
Kano Pillars midfielder, Rabiu Ali who was among the top scorers last season told SHOT! that the goals are not coming in torrents because defenders have improved.
“I don’t think we don’t know how to score goals. The fact is that defenders have not gone to sleep. They have also raised their game and scoring is not as easy as one would think.
“However, to say that there are no goals in the league is not very correct. Week in week out, matches are won because goals were scored. I think before the season ends, we would score more goals”.
Technical Adviser of Akwa United, Patrick Udoh also said there are still good strikers in the league but so many factors are militating against them.
He said club manager do everything possible to avoid home defeat due to fear of repercussions from their sponsors.
“There are talented strikers in the league but a situation where clubs do everything to win at home makes it difficult for them to score.
“Secondly, officiating is another factor that impedes the efforts of strikers. When match officials refuse to throw matches open, there is usually little or nothing the strikers can do”
Despite these reasons given to explain the shortage of goals in the league, some football fans are of the view that team handlers need to do more work on their strikers scoring abilities.
Coach Austin Tyowua is one of those who feel strongly that strikers in the NPL need to sit up if they are to merit that name.
“I don’t think we have gifted strikers in the league. Most of them lack the basics. I played as a striker and I know what is required of every striker.
“Most of them don’t take time to acquire the necessary skills. Consequently, they keep fumbling in front of goal.
“Sometimes a striker may have up to six clear chances in a match but may not convert any. Should we continue to call such players strikers?.
“A good striker scores regularly. That was why Late Rashidi Yekini stood out in the Super Eagles and the clubs he played for at home and in Europe. He was a born scorer”, he said.