The Six Biggest Stars in Nigeria Professional Football League - Who Are They?

Six NPFL Top Stars - Check Out the Records

Forget that most media platforms even here in Nigeria, does not really spotlight Nigeria professional football league (NPFL) games and stats. Therefore, these stars hardly make headline news: their faces are not regular on television and they are not household names or popular among the football community in Nigeria.

Yeah, we know NPFL are constantly being drained of quality players going to play abroad, yet a few has remained and keep on flaming the league.

Perhaps, you may not know, but NPFL do have big stars that has shattered records and achieved astonishing feats, still playing in the domestic league today. Here, we showcase six of the biggest stars currently in NPFL entering into 2019 - 2020 season.

1. Mfon Udoh is arguably the biggest star in NPFL. Presently, the captain of Akwa United and a sublime striker in Nigeria.  

I can describe him  as the lord of the league and a goal scoring machine. He is a complete striker who possesses pace, good positioning, natural finishing as well as the ability to provide assists. He is a "fox in the box" type of player, difficult to stop once in the penalty area. 

Mfon scored 3 hat tricks and 8 brace in NPFL and scored 1 hatrick and 2 brace in the Caf champions league. He helped Enyimba to a Federations cup title in 2014 and NPFL title in 2016.

Mfon is the current joint highest goal scorer of the league 2018 - 2019 season. And many analysts have wondered why this enterprising striker hasn't been able to take his skills abroad, to play in any of the top leagues in Europe.

Mfon holds the record for highest number of goals ever scored  in NPFL in a single season, 23 goals in 2013 - 2014 season.

He was also the highest goal scorer in the 2016 CAF champions league with 9 goals, which was all scored in the group stage of the competition.

He is the first player to score over 35 goals in two consecutive seasons in Nigeria. Between 2012 and 2014, he scored 39 goals in the regular league and 3 in the Federations cup competition, for a total of 41 goals in two seasons... and a grand total of 101 goal hall in his career.

2. Rabiu Ali is the current Captain of Kano Pillars F.C. and is regarded as one of the club's greatest ever players and one of the best players in Nigerian Professional football league. His fans and teammate often describes. him after the spanish, FC Barcelona's midfield driver, Andre Inesta.

Rabiu makes the job easy for his teammates. organising, directing, controling the flow of the game. He is usually the custodian of the match plan and a great leader or should I say, a coach of a sort on the pitch. He is a marvel in ball intelligence; perhaps the greatest passer of the ball and a workaholic in the middle of the pack. 

He can single handedly change tactics and dictate the pace of the game at will or as he receive instructions from the bench.

Ali has scored 35 goals and probably largest assist (156) in his entire career. He has led Kano pillars to dominate the league three consecutive seasons in 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14.

3. Ikechukwu Ezenwa is an outstanding goalkeeper, who recently signed for Heartland FC in his return journey to the club. Ezenwa's stockish height and his eclectic character has made most analysts describe him to be like former France international and Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.

Perhaps, Ezenwa got to global spotlight when he showed some class in keeping during Nigeria's back to back matches against the ‘indomitable lions’ of Cameroon in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He kept a clean sheet when Nigeria overwhelmed the Cameroonians 4 - 0 in Uyo and just conceded one goal in a highly tensed 1 - 1 draw in the return leg at Yaounde.

Ezenwa has remained in the mix since Sunday Oliseh called him up to the Nigeria national team in 2015. Following the injury of Nigeria's first choice goalkeeper Carl Ikeme he was called up to be part of the squad in the World cup and Nations cup qualifications by the Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr.

Ezenwa made the squad to 2018 Fifa World cup in Russia, 2019 African Cup of nations in Egypt and was the captain of home based Eagles to African Championship (CHAN) in 2018.

Ezenwa is a super player, always juggling between club football and to several  National team assignments... keeping for both club, Super Eagles and home base Eagles intermittently. He had also been first choice goalkeeper for Nigeria U20 in 2007 and U23... He was part of team at Bejing Olympics in 2008.

Perhaps, because he is prized high, every coach want Ezenwa in his team... again, his not too stable itineraries, Ezenwa has been a journey man of a sort in NPFL. 

Since he started in the elite league with Ocean boys, Ezenwa has been virtually everywhere: 

2006–2008 Ocean Boys F.C; 2008–2011 Heartland F.C; 2011–2014 Sharks F.C; 2014–2016

Sunshine Stars F.C; 2016–2017Ifeanyi Ubah F.C; 2017–2019 Enyimba International F.C; 2019–

Katsina United F.C and now, he returns to Heartland F.C.

4.. Mohammed Gambo currently play for Kano pillars, has widely been regarded as one of the best strikers in the Nigeria Professional Football League in the last few seasons. Fondly called the Kalifath (the. Ageless war horse), great pace and a combatant attacker of no little fire power.

Surprisingly, Gambo. hasn't ever won the top scorer award in NPFL, but has been the runners up in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He has scored over 60 goals in the domestic league and one international goal for the home base Eagles.

Gambo has help Kano Pillars win the league trophy three times in 2007–08, 2011–12, 201. seasons.

then, Runners-up: 2009–10 and Nigerian Super Cup Runners-up: 2012

He was tipped to replace Ekigho Ehiosun at Turkish club Samsunspor in the summer transfer window after scoring 15 goals in the Nigerian league in the 2012 season and 5 goals in the Federations Cup, but the deal fell through. again in July 2013 he was close to signing with Tuniagain Club Africain, but contract negotiations also broke down. This greatly effected his physical and emotional welbeing which led to a dip in his general performance.

Even at 33 years old, Gambo has picked up his career and firing in all cylinders again.

5. Bartholomew Ikechukwu Ibenegbu,  the one they call "Mosquito", currently plays for Enugu Rangers FC, very enterprising attacking midfielder and one of the most popular player in NPFL today.

Ibenegbu is nicknamed Mosquito because of his skinny looks and his tenacity. No matter how you try to ward him off, Ibenegbu keep coming at defenders with his great dribbling runs, almost, always putting opponents defense line in disarray. One of the players in NPFL that shoots very well and has such eagle eyes on goal.

1. Ibenegbu won the highest scorer award with 10 goals in 2006 while playing with El Kanemi Warriors, Has scored a career total of 48 goals and 55 assists. 

Ibenegbu helped Enyimba win 2019 league title after a spendid performance at the Super Six play off early this year.

Ibenegbu has played for the Nigeria national beach soccer team since 2006. He was called into the 2007 Under-23 camp before the Beijing Olympics but did not make the final team.

He was called to Super Eagles camp ahead of the 2010 African Cup of Nations, one of only three home-based players to make it to the continental competition. He made is debut as a substitute in the January 2012 friendly vs Angola.