The early stages of the 2026/27 EUROMATCH Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season have produced an interesting battle for the top-scoring spot, with Ranchers Bees’ Mohammed Rabiu Zulkifilu leading the way.
Zulkifilu has scored three goals after his first appearance of the campaign, putting himself at the top of the scoring chart after an impressive performance against Abia Warriors.
The Ranchers Bees midfielder made his first start of the season count, scoring a hat-trick in his side’s 4-0 victory over Abia Warriors at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina. His goals came in the 41st, 45th and 62nd minutes.
His hat-trick also made him the first player to score three goals in a single match in the 2026/27 NPFL campaign.
Kano Pillars defender Fabian Nworie is also among the early scoring leaders, despite playing in a defensive position.
Nworie scored twice in Kano Pillars’ 3-2 victory over Niger Tornadoes at the Sani Abacha Stadium.
He first found the net in first-half stoppage time before adding his second goal nine minutes after the restart to give Pillars a commanding 3-0 lead.
The brace took Nworie’s tally to two goals, putting him level with Doma United forward Sadiq Rilwan.
Rilwan has also enjoyed an impressive start to the new campaign.
The Doma United striker has scored in both of his appearances so far, finding the net against Sporting Lagos and Inter Lagos.
He scored in Doma United’s 2-0 victory over Sporting Lagos before netting the winning goal in their 1-0 victory over Inter Lagos.
That means Rilwan is the only player among the early scoring leaders to have scored in every match he has played this season.
With the campaign still in its opening stages, Zulkifilu’s one-goal advantage is unlikely to mean much as more NPFL fixtures are played.
For now, the Ranchers Bees midfielder leads with three goals, while Nworie and Rilwan follow with two each.
The strong starts from the trio add an early storyline to a season that has already produced plenty of goals and competitive results across the league.
Early NPFL scoring leaders
- Mohammed Rabiu Zulkifilu (Ranchers Bees) – 3 goals
- Fabian Nworie (Kano Pillars) – 2 goals
- Sadiq Rilwan (Doma United) – 2 goals
With several matchweeks still ahead, the race for the NPFL Golden Boot is only beginning.
