According to a recent report from Punch Sports Extra, it has been stated that Anas Yusuf, the striker for Nasarawa United, will not be attending the 2025 Eunisell Golden Boot Award ceremony today (Friday) in Lagos.
This decision follows a challenge from the Nigeria Premier Football League against the organisers regarding what they term the ‘illegal’ use of the league’s brand.
It remains uncertain whether the event will proceed as scheduled. However, a source from the Lafia-based club has confirmed that the player will not be present due to a conflict of interest.
The Eunisell award, now in its seventh year, aims to recognise the top goal scorer of the NPFL.
Yusuf netted 18 goals in the recently concluded 2024/25 season, making him the leading scorer in the Nigerian top flight. Nevertheless, he may not receive his reward of N3.6 million, calculated at N200,000 per goal, due to the ongoing issues surrounding this year’s event.
In a letter addressed to the organisers, which our correspondent has seen, the NPFL’s chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, labelled the award as illegal.
“We have become aware that your company has been utilising the name and mark of the Nigeria Premier Football League for an award ceremony, specifically the Eunisell Highest Goal Scorer award.
“This award constitutes an illegal use of our title and branding, as you do not have a partnership with the NPFL, nor have you sought approval from the NPFL board to utilise the league we have organised.
“This notice serves as a warning to cease this activity, or we will have no choice but to contact the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, a situation that could tarnish your company’s reputation.
“You are encouraged to take this opportunity to initiate discussions to rectify the irregularity that we have seen announced online regarding the award date.”
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While the player’s camp has acknowledged their absence in adherence to the league body’s directive, the organisers have expressed scepticism, lamenting the disruption caused.
As the organiser of the esteemed Eunisell Boot, I take great pride in the influence that Eunisell Ltd, an ISO certified organisation, has had on the NPFL. With various brands distancing themselves from the NPFL, Eunisell stands out as the sole company that has consistently supported the NPFL for a decade,” stated Ojeikere Aikhoje, who also oversees the League Bloggers Award.
In the meantime, the NPFL has faced backlash for abandoning the organisers. NPFL commentator, Ralph George, remarked, “This is certainly not the appropriate approach. The Eunisell Boot Award should be supported, rather than labelled as ‘unscrupulous’. This league requires such companies to promote it by encouraging players to score goals and receive recognition.”
