sports

Godwin Obaje joins NPFL 100-goal elite club

Published

3 weeks ago

October 6, 2026

Rangers striker Godwin Obaje has joined the NPFL’s 100-goal club and now has his sights on CAF Champions League glory

Rangers International striker Godwin Obaje has written his name into the history of the Nigeria Premier Football League after becoming only the third player to reach 100 goals in the competition.

Also read: Dangote stops petrol sales to fuel importers

The 30-year-old reached the landmark on September 30, scoring an 11th-minute penalty in Rangers’ 1-0 victory over Warri Wolves in Ozoro, Delta State.

The goal secured three points for the defending champions while taking Obaje into an exclusive club alongside Victor Ezeji and Rabiu Ali.

For Obaje, the achievement represents the reward for more than a decade of persistence in Nigerian domestic football.

“I feel very happy to have achieved this. It is something I have worked very hard to achieve,” he told PUNCH Sports Extra.

The striker admitted that reaching the century mark was never a personal target when he began his career.

“To be honest, I never thought of it. I just felt I should keep working hard to score as much as I can,” he said.

His route to 100 goals has been spread across five NPFL clubs.

Obaje scored 25 goals during his spells with Wikki Tourists, 16 for the now-defunct FC Ifeanyi Ubah, one for Plateau United, 23 for Abia Warriors and 35 for Rangers.

His breakthrough season came with Wikki Tourists in 2016, when he finished as the league’s leading scorer with 18 goals and claimed the Golden Boot.

He subsequently moved through several clubs and also had spells abroad, including AS Trenčín in Slovakia, Jeunesse Sportive Kairouanaise in Tunisia and clubs in Ethiopia and Oman.

The 100-goal milestone, however, was only the beginning.

Obaje added another goal four days later in Rangers’ 3-1 victory over his former club Abia Warriors at the Awka City Stadium. His 37th-minute header took his NPFL tally to 101.

Rangers had honoured him before the Abia Warriors match for reaching the century, presenting the striker with a commemorative plaque.

Obaje said the recognition moved him emotionally, particularly because of the atmosphere created by the supporters.

“At that moment, I became too emotional. The atmosphere was like one was in Europe, with fans chanting and shouting,” he said.

His landmark has placed him behind two established figures on the league’s scoring chart.

Ezeji finished his NPFL career with 148 goals, while Rabiu Ali has scored 144 and remains active with Kano Pillars.

Obaje’s entry into the group means the three players are currently the league’s recognised 100-goal marksmen in the records cited by the reports.

For Obaje, though, the next ambition is not simply to climb the scoring chart.

The Rangers forward wants to help the club make an impact in Africa.

Rangers qualified for the CAF Champions League after winning the 2025/26 NPFL title, their ninth league championship.

The club’s official website confirms that the title secured its place in the continental competition.

Obaje has now set his sights on winning the CAF Champions League with the Flying Antelopes.

“That’s my target for now,” he said. “But let’s reach the group stage first. From there, we see what God can do for us next.”

The forward also said retirement is not currently on his mind.

Instead, he credits prayer, hard work, focus, commitment and dedication for helping him maintain his career and scoring form.

His longevity has become a defining part of his story. From emerging as a Golden Boot winner with Wikki Tourists to returning to Rangers and helping the club win two NPFL titles, Obaje has remained a consistent presence in Nigerian top-flight football.

The 100-goal mark therefore represents more than a number. It is a record built across different clubs, seasons and phases of a career that has also taken him beyond Nigeria.

Also read: Dangote stops petrol sales to fuel importers

And with his tally already at 101, Obaje has another opportunity ahead: to move closer to Ezeji and Ali while attempting to lead Rangers deeper into Africa’s premier club competition.

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Mbappe Apologises Over Mao Zedong Comment as Chinese Brands End Deals

Published

12 hours ago

October 27, 2026

Peculiar Adirika

Mbappe Mao Zedong comment sparks backlash in China, prompting an apology from the Real Madrid star and the termination of two brand partnerships

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has apologised over an “ill-judged” comment about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong after Chinese drinks manufacturer Dongpeng Beverage and dairy producer Mengniu terminated their partnerships with the French football star.

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Mbappe, who captains France’s national team, issued the apology on his X account on Tuesday, acknowledging that his remarks had upset people in China and Chinese communities worldwide.

“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset,” he said.

The controversy followed the circulation of a video in which the 27-year-old footballer reacted to an internet meme featuring his face superimposed on that of a Chinese leader.

He reportedly described it as the funniest meme he had seen and referred to the figure as “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator”, in an apparent reference to Mao.

Dongpeng Beverage announced on Tuesday that it was ending its partnership with Mbappe, citing its opposition to comments considered offensive to Chinese national sentiment.

“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” the company said.

“With immediate effect, we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe,” it added.

Mengniu, one of China’s largest dairy producers, also announced that it was ending its partnership with the Real Madrid forward.

“With immediate effect, our company is terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe,” the company said, adding that it maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.

The announcements generated widespread discussion on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where Dongpeng’s decision to end its partnership with the footballer became a trending topic.

Mao, who led the Chinese Communist Party and died in 1976, remains a highly sensitive historical and political figure in China.

Comments perceived as disrespectful towards him can provoke strong public reactions.

Mbappe had previously addressed memes comparing him to historical dictators in an interview with French sports newspaper L’Equipe in September.

“There’s a part of it that’s funny. You can tell that, for some people, it’s all in good fun. But there is another part that’s a bit less funny because of the damage such people have caused throughout history,” he said.

He added that being compared with individuals responsible for mass killings and widespread suffering was uncomfortable.

“Being compared to individuals who murder others, or who have brought misery to millions upon millions of people — well, I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that in my life,” Mbappe said.

International sports figures have previously faced commercial and public backlash in China over politically sensitive comments concerning Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong.

In 2019, a social media post by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey expressing support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong prompted Chinese authorities and businesses to suspend NBA-related activities.

NBA games were subsequently absent from Chinese state television broadcasts for about a year.

In 2023, former NBA player Dwight Howard also faced criticism on Chinese social media after referring to Taiwan as a country in a video featuring Taiwan’s then vice president, Lai Ching-te.

Also read: Police Confirm Three Killed, Inspector Injured in Kebbi Violence

Mbappe’s apology comes amid the fallout from the latest controversy and the decisions by Dongpeng Beverage and Mengniu to end their commercial relationships with the footballer.