The 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season is already in its midseason and the second half is billed to commence on Sunday across ten different venues.
In a league so scarce of key statistics and information in many respect, our Chief Football Writer brings out this list of everpresent players for their respective clubs as the league enters the second stanza.
It is common knowledge that players are more talented than one another when it comes to fitness and consistency levels. That is why; for a very rigorous league like the NPFL (considering the hectic schedule and poor state of Nigerian roads), it is an exceptional feat for players to start as much as nineteen games in a row.
Sixteen players fall in this exceptional category, spread across eleven clubs in the top flight. These players have started each of their clubs’ league game till date and will be hoping to continue on it in the second half.
Have a look:
Abia Warriors: Austin Obaroakpo and Jean Parfait
Position: Centre backs. Both players have started all games at the heart of the Warriors defence. Obaroakpo is the team captain and leads by example in this regard.
Wikki Tourists: Idris Mohammed Guda
Guda is also Wikki Tourists captain and he plays either as an offensive midfielder of a left sided winger. He is his club’s joint topscorer so far with four goals.
Katsina United: Frank Kappe
Kappe is a right back who has shown tremendous consistency in recent seasons. In fact, he has not missed a game since the start of last season.
Sunshine Stars: Jide Fatokun
Fatokun is a central defensive midfielder with the Akure based club and only recently scored his first goal of the season.
Rangers Int’l: Anthony Msonter Shimaga
Shimaga is Rangers’ defensive midfielder extraordinaire who has played every minute of Rangers’ games in all competitions this term.
Kano Pillars: Suraj Ayeleso, Auwalu Ali Malam, Nyima Nwagua
Ayeleso has kept all 17 games for Pillars so far (they have two games in hand) and has 8 clean sheets, the joint most in the division.
Auwalu Ali Malam is having a barnstorming season as a central attacking midfielder for Pillars. He already has six goals this term with a number of assists. His club’s topscorer so far.
Nyima Nwagua is a centre forward who has started all 17 games for Pillars, netting four times.
FC Ifeanyiubah: Charles Okafor
Okafor is Ifeanyiubah’s captain and an intelligent centre back for the Anambra Warriors. He has played every minute of the campaign so far.
Warri Wolves: Charles Upele and Goodluck Onamado
Centre backs. This central defensive pair has started all of Wolves’ league games and old warhorse Onamado has provided leadership as the team’s captain.
Dakkada FC: Femi Ajayi and Moses Effiong
Femi Ajayi is a centre forward while Effiong is a winger. Both players have been crucial to Dakkada’s success so far. Both players have scored five goals each in 20 matches which they have started.
Plateau United: Ibrahim Buhari
Centre back Buhari is the rock on which head coach Abdu Maikaba has built his title challenge on. He has played every minute of the campaign so far.
Adamawa United: Idris Abubakar
Abubakar is a central attacking midfielder who has proved crucial for his team so far. He has scored five goals, the highest by any player in his team and has played every minute so far.
