NPL Ends Controversy Over Musa’s Goals

The controversy that broke out over the legitimacy of the 15 goals scored by Kano Pillars’ attacking winger, Ahmed Musa, in this season’s campaign has ended after the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) credited the teenage player with same number of goals.

After disputing the fact that Musa’s total goals for this season stood at 14, the media department of the NPL sent an email to Naijaligue.blogspot.com on statistics of the top-flight for this season and acknowledged that the former Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Football Club man had scored 15 goals.

In the email sent, the NPL only mentioned the two top scorers Musa of Kano Pillars with 15 goals and Enyimba’s Osas Idehen with 10 leaving out Eugene Salami of Niger Tornadoes, who has scored same number of goals with Idehen.

Premier League Executive Secretary, Alhassan Yakmut, ended the controversy over the total goals of Musa by confirming that the pacy striker that he has 15 goals to his name.

Yakmut, who is acting as sole administrator of the Premier League in the absence of a board, is hoping that Musa would become the first player to surpass the 17-goal record held by Ishaya Jatau and equalled by former Akwa United man, Akarandut Orok.

“Yes he has 15 goals,” Yakmut confirmed to Naijaligue.blogspot.com on Thursday morning from Abuja on telephone. “We’re happy for him and hope he becomes the first player to score more than 17 goals in a single season. It is quite astonishing that the statistics in the league for this season is one of the best I’ve witnessed in a long time. More away wins, and the technical input of players is impressive.”

But the NPL scribe did not want to go into details over how the league arbiter failed to keep accurate track of the number of goals scored by Musa in this season’s campaign so far.

However, the Kano Pillars’ striker was happy that the controversy over the number of goals he has scored so far in the 39-week old championship is over.

Musa also thanked the media for standing up in defence of the number of goals he has scored, adding that he still has his eyes set on hitting the 20-goal mark by the end of the season.

“I am happy that they (the NPL) have realised that they made a mistake. I think you people (the media) have done well concerning this and I am happy. This will encourage me to score more goals and I pray that I can score 20 goals that is if I get the chance to play,” he told Naijaligue.blogspot.com.

According to the records kept by Naijaligue.blogspot.com, Musa scored just four goals last year but hit a rich vein of form from January this year by scoring another 11.

But Musa has not scored since April 3 and it is believed that his engagement with the Super Eagles Team B at the recent edition of the WAFU Nations Cup may have robbed him of the chance to add to his 15 goals.

The NPL has ran into problems with managing statistics of the top-flight and had to rely on evidence from Akwa United to prove that Orok scored 17 goals.

BREAKDOWN OF AHMED MUSA’S GOALS

Heartland (Oct 18, 2009, Home) ________________________ 2 goals

Ranch Bees 2 – 1 (Nov 21, 2009, Home) __________________ 1 goal

Tornadoes 1 – 1 (Nov 28, 2009, Away)___________________ 1 goal

Gateway 1 – 0 (Jan 9, 2010, Home)_______________________ 1 goal

Enyimba 2 – 0 (Jan 17, 2010, Home) _____________________ 1 goal

Wikki (Jan 24, 2010, Away) _____________________________ 1 goal

Sunshine Stars (Jan 27, 2010, Home)_____________________ 1 goal

Lobi Stars (Feb 6, 2010, Home) __________________________ 1 goal

Ocean Boys (Feb 20, 2010, Home) _______________________ 2 goals

Kwara Utd (March 6, 2010, Home) ______________________ 1 goal

Sharks (March 14, 2010, Home) _________________________ 2 goals

Ranch Bees (April 3, 2010) ______________________________ 1 goal