Former Nigerian league star Victor Ezeji has congratulated Rangers International striker Godwin Obaje on reaching 100 goals in the Nigeria Premier Football League, insisting that football records are meant to be broken.
Obaje reached the landmark during Rangers’ 1-0 victory over Warri Wolves in a rescheduled NPFL fixture on September 30, scoring the only goal of the match from the penalty spot in the 11th minute.
The achievement made the Rangers forward only the third player to reach 100 goals in the history of the Nigerian top flight, placing him alongside two established figures of the domestic game, Ezeji and Kano Pillars captain Rabiu Ali.
Ezeji, who retired from professional football 11 years ago, welcomed Obaje’s achievement and made it clear that he would have no problem seeing the younger striker eventually surpass his own record.
“No records are there forever; records are meant to be broken,” Ezeji said.
“I stopped playing 11 years ago and would love to see my record broken. I wish Obaji well and hope he breaks it, and if not, that’s also fine.”
Ezeji currently holds one of the most impressive scoring records in Nigerian league football, having finished his NPFL career with 148 goals. Obaje’s century therefore represents an important milestone, but the Rangers striker still has 48 goals to score to equal Ezeji’s tally.
Rabiu Ali, who remains active with Kano Pillars, is also ahead of Obaje with 144 league goals. The veteran midfielder continues to add to his tally, meaning the race for the top positions among Nigeria’s leading domestic goalscorers remains open.
For Obaje, reaching 100 goals was the reward for years of consistency and hard work.
The 30-year-old striker said he was delighted to reach the landmark, revealing that he had not initially set a specific target of 100 goals but had focused on continuing to improve and score as many goals as possible.
“I feel very happy to have achieved this. It is something I have worked very hard to achieve,” Obaje said.
His goals have come across several clubs during his NPFL career. He scored 25 goals for Wikki Tourists, 16 for FC Ifeanyi Ubah, one for Plateau United and 23 for Abia Warriors, before adding 35 for Rangers to reach the 100-goal mark.
His time at Wikki Tourists also produced a major individual honour, as he won the 2016 NPFL Golden Boot after scoring 18 goals.
Obaje’s landmark has now placed him in an elite group of Nigerian domestic football scorers, but his next challenge will be even more demanding.
With Ezeji sitting on 148 goals and Ali on 144, Obaje would need another 44 goals to overtake Ali and 49 to move beyond Ezeji’s current tally.
The significance of Ezeji’s comments, however, goes beyond the numbers.
Rather than viewing the emergence of a new record challenger as a threat to his legacy, the former striker sees it as evidence of the continued development of Nigerian football.
Ezeji was one of the most accomplished players of his generation. He shared the league’s top-scorer award with Ghanaian striker Joetex Frimpong in 2002 after scoring 16 goals and represented several Nigerian clubs, including Sharks, Eagle Cement, Enyimba, Dolphins, Sunshine Stars and Heartland.
He also enjoyed success on the continental stage with Enyimba, winning the CAF Champions League twice, while he represented Nigeria at international level.
Obaje’s achievement now provides a new generation with a benchmark to chase.
The Rangers striker has already demonstrated his ability to remain productive at the highest level of Nigerian domestic football, and his continued scoring form could determine whether he eventually moves beyond the records established by Ezeji and Ali.
For now, Ezeji is simply happy to see another Nigerian footballer making history.
His message captures the essence of sporting records: they preserve the achievements of one generation while giving the next generation something to chase.
If Obaje eventually breaks Ezeji’s 148-goal record, the former champion will not regard it as the loss of his legacy. Instead, it would represent another chapter in the continuing history of Nigerian league football.
