Sunusi Ibrahim of Nasarawa United has been declared the highest goalscorer in the just ended regular season of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Completesports.com reports
Sunusi tied with Akwa United’s Mfon Udoh on 10 goals at the completion of matches going into the NPFL Championship Playoffs to determine the season’s champions.
The League Management Company (LMC) in arriving at the decision to declare Sunusi the top scorer of the season, relied on provisions in Rule A9.4, A9.5-2 which stipulates considerations to determine the lead scorer in the event of a tie of two or more players.
Disciplinary records which is the second consideration to break a tie favoured Sunusi as he only bagged one yellow card all through the season as against two recorded for Udoh.
Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, Salihu Abubakar in making this known, said: “From our records, Ibrahim Sunusi of Nasarawa United and Mfon Udoh of Akwa United have ten goals to their credit but the Framework and Rules of the NPFL made provisions for determining the top scorer should there be a tie as has happened, Abubakar stated.
“We have considered the provisions, including Rule A9.4, which prescribed that the player that scored the highest number of goals at the end of the season shall be declared as highest goal scorer.”
Abubakar further cited Rule A9.5 which states that If two or more players scored the same number of goals, the next consideration as listed on Rule A9.5.1 is that the player with the least number of goals from the penalty spot.
Abubakar clarified further: “Again, we have ascertained from the records that both players scored twice for their respective clubs from the penalty spot which led us to the next consideration in Rule A9.5.2, which states that the player with the better disciplinary records in terms of the least number of caution and expulsion cards will be declared as highest goal scorer for the season.”
It would have been the second season that recently married Udoh would finish as top scorer had he clinched the award. He still holds the record of the most goals in the league for a single season after he netted 23 goals in the 2013/14 season playing for former champions, Enyimba.
By Adeboye Amosu
