Yusuf Abdullahi made headlines in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on Sunday as he scored all of Kano Pillars’ five goals in their 5-2 win away at Gombe United.
He made his presence known by netting a brace in the seventh and 14th minute. Though Gombe United pulled one back through Sadiq Shuaibu three minutes later, Abdullahi made it a hat-trick in the 33rd minute.
Gombe once again reduced the deficit in the fifth minute of added time in the first half but Abdullahi once there once again to pop up with the fourth goal still in added time before completing his remarkable scoring spree on the hour mark.
Abdullahi’s goal rush in Gombe made him the first player in the NPFL to score four or more goals since December 2019 when Israel Abia scored four times for Sunshine Stars in a 4-2 win over Nasarawa United.
5 – Kano Pillars’ Yusuf Abdullahi is the first player to score 5+ goals in a game in the NPFL since Emem Eduok scored all 6 goals for Dolphins FC against Nembe City in October 2014. Multiple.#GOMPIL #NPFL23 pic.twitter.com/xvmGiN2RAr
— Opta Nigeria (@OptaNGR) December 3, 2023
Emem Edouk remains the player to have scored most goals in an NPFL game, netting six times for the defunct Dolphins FC in a 6-0 bashing of Nembe City in 2014.
Pillars’ victory moved them up to seventh on the NPFL table, three points shy of the continental qualification places.
