The race for the Nigeria Professional Football League’s Golden Boot award is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory, with Plateau United’s Gambo Mohammed holding a slender two-goal advantage at the top of the scoring charts entering the final five matchdays of the 2025-26 season.
Mohammed, a 25-year-old striker who came through the Plateau United youth academy, has been nothing short of sensational this campaign. His tally of 17 goals in 28 league appearances includes four braces, one hat-trick against Heartland FC in February, and an array of stunning individual goals that have drawn comparison with some of the finest NPFL strikers of recent generations.
The competition chasing him is formidable. Remo Stars’ Tobi Adewale sits on 15 goals and arrives in brilliant form having scored in each of his last four matches, while Enyimba FC’s Chisom Egbo is also on 15 and will benefit from his club’s continental motivation heading into the final stretch.
For Mohammed, the Golden Boot would be the crowning achievement of a breakout season that has already attracted interest from clubs in North Africa and the Middle East. His agent, James Aken, confirmed that enquiries had been received but would not be entertained until the season’s conclusion.
Plateau United’s head coach, Abdul Maikaba, has spoken glowingly about his striker throughout the campaign. “Gambo is a complete centre-forward. He works hard without the ball, his finishing is clinical, and he scores all types of goals: headers, volleys, one-on-ones, free kicks. What surprises me is that more people didn’t see this coming.”
Mohammed himself remains publicly focused on team rather than personal milestones. “The most important thing for Plateau United is to finish as high as possible in the table,” he said. “If the Golden Boot comes with that, I will be very happy. But I don’t chase the Golden Boot. I chase three points.”
That said, his expected goals metric (xG) this season stands at 14.2, meaning he is outperforming it by nearly three goals — a figure that speaks to both his composure and his ability to create something from nothing in the final third.
With Plateau United still in contention for a top-six finish that would ensure entry into CAF pre-qualification next season, Mohammed will have plenty of motivation to keep scoring. Whether he ends the season with the Golden Boot or not, his performances in 2025-26 have already made him one of the most talked-about young strikers in Nigeria.
