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EuroMatch NPFL: “I’m Looking at 19 to 20 Goals” — Joseph Atule Fires Barau FC To Winning Start
Joseph Atule has wasted no time turning his personal ambition into action, opening his EuroMatch NPFL campaign with a goal as Barau FC defeated Nasarawa United 3-1 at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Sunday.
The Barau FC winger had spoken before the season about challenging himself to reach 19 or 20 goals during the campaign. On Matchday One, he took the first step towards that target by scoring Barau’s opening goal and the club’s first of the new EuroMatch NPFL season.
Atule struck in the 15th minute, giving Barau FC an early advantage and immediately putting his name among the first individual performers to watch in the new campaign. Nasarawa United responded through Abubakar Abdullahi, but Barau eventually pulled away late, with Al-Amin Umar scoring in the 78th minute before Sugau Aliyu completed the 3-1 victory four minutes later.
For Atule, however, the importance of the goal goes beyond the scoreline.
It is the first piece of evidence that his ambitious personal target is not merely talk.
The former Enyimba forward contributed eight goals and five assists for Barau FC last season as the Kano club finished eighth in their first NPFL campaign. He now wants considerably more from himself this time around.
“I have sat and thought about it. I’ve also challenged myself,” Atule said before the season. “If I am not going to score 20 goals, it should be a lot of goals.”
His opening-day goal suggests that the challenge has already begun.
There was also a difficult moment for Atule during the match. According to one match report, the winger saw a penalty saved in the second half, but rather than allowing the miss to affect his performance, Barau continued pushing forward and eventually secured a convincing victory.
That response may be just as significant as the goal itself.
A striker’s season is rarely defined by every chance converted. It is often defined by how quickly a player responds when something goes wrong.
Atule responded by remaining involved as Barau continued to press, eventually producing a performance that helped the newly established Kano side begin the season with maximum points.
The conditions in Kano also provided their own challenge. Weather records for August 30 indicate temperatures around 31–33°C, with forecasts also pointing to isolated thunderstorms and a possibility of rain in the area.
But neither the heat nor the pressure of an opening-day fixture stopped Atule from making his mark.
And that is exactly the type of individual story the EuroMatch NPFL needs.
A player with a target.
A player with something to prove.
A player who has already put one goal on the board.
For Barau FC, the bigger objective is collective: to build on their impressive opening victory and establish themselves as a serious force in the league.
For Atule, the challenge is more personal.
Nineteen to 20 goals is the target. One is already in the bag.
The EuroMatch NPFL has only just begun, but *Joseph Atule has already given the league another player to watch.*
Nigeria’s Green Hawks will turn their attention to Zambia on Tuesday as the country’s first-ever national netball team continues its historic campaign at the Africa Netball Cup and 2027 Netball World Cup African Qualifiers in Nairobi, Kenya.
The encounter presents Nigeria with another opportunity to measure its progress after a demanding welcome to international netball against three established African sides.
Nigeria began the competition with a 61–40 defeat to hosts Kenya before facing world number six Uganda, who recorded a 68–30 victory.
The Green Hawks then suffered an 82–22 loss to Malawi on Monday, leaving the Nigerian side still searching for its first victory of the tournament.
Against Malawi, Nigeria trailed 21–6 after the opening quarter before the gap widened to 40–11 at half-time.
Malawi eventually completed the contest with a 60-goal advantage and, in the process, strengthened their World Cup qualification campaign.
For Nigeria, however, the tournament represents more than immediate results.
The Green Hawks are competing internationally for the first time, with the Nairobi tournament providing the players with their first sustained exposure to some of Africa’s leading netball nations.
Nigeria’s next opponents, Zambia, therefore offer another test of how quickly the newly assembled side can adjust to competition at continental level.
With matches against Kenya, Uganda and Malawi now behind them, Tuesday’s encounter provides the Green Hawks with another opportunity to translate the experience gained from those difficult fixtures into an improved performance.
The Africa Netball Cup and World Cup African Qualifiers continue in Nairobi until September 26.
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