Thursday June 12, 2025|
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has raised eyebrows over the much-celebrated Eunisell Golden Boot Award, branding the initiative as “illegal” and vowing to take legal steps to halt its continued existence.
In a strongly-worded statement issued on Thursday, the NPFL board expressed its displeasure at what it described as the unauthorized use of the league’s brand name by Eunisell Limited, the sponsor of the award.
The league body threatened to escalate the matter to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) if corrective actions are not taken immediately.
Introduced in 2018, the Eunisell Golden Boot Award celebrates the highest goal scorer in the NPFL each season, offering cash rewards and public recognition.
The 2025 edition is scheduled to take place on June 13, with Anas Yusuf of Nasarawa United, who netted 18 goals this season, set to receive a cash prize of N3.6 million.
Gbenga Elegbeleye, Chairman of the NPFL, accused the organisers of the award of undermining the league’s commercial rights.
“It is a deliberate flouting of the naming rights of the league,” he stated. “It is not right for any individuals or corporate bodies to use the NPFL name to announce an award without proper engagement with the asset owners.”
Elegbeleye stressed the need to protect the integrity and ownership of the NPFL brand.
“We are prepared to use every legal avenue to defend our asset. The era of impunity must end. We will report this matter to the FCCPC to stop this unauthorized use of our brand once and for all,” he added.
Despite the league’s threat, the Eunisell Golden Boot Award has a track record of recognising top-performing NPFL strikers.
Past recipients include Junior Lokosa (2018), Sunusi Ibrahim and Mfon Udoh (joint winners in 2019), Israel Abia (2020), and Chijioke Akuneto (2022).
The unfolding drama has now cast a shadow over Friday’s award ceremony, with stakeholders awaiting the next move from both Eunisell and the NPFL.
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