Atule sets 20-goal target

Barau FC winger, Joseph Atule, has set himself the target of scoring 20 goals in the 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League season, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Atule, who is available to face Nasarawa United in their first fixture at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano, explained he had thought about setting himself a challenge after being directly involved in 13 of Barau FC’s goals last season.

The former Enyimba man also showed moderation in his target, saying if he fails to score 20 goals in the season, then scoring “a lot of goals” for the Maliya Boys will be satisfactory.

”I have sat and thought about it. I’ve also challenged myself about it. If I am not going to score 20 goals, it should be a lot of goals. I am not going to put a specific number of goals to it. But I am looking at (scoring) 19 to 20 goals. That’s my target,” he told the club’s media this week.

On their opening game of the campaign, Atule believes that they are prepared to face Nasarawa United this Sunday.

”I consider my goal against El-Kanemi Warriors last season as the most exciting moment for me at Barau FC so far. Now, I feel comfortable in Kano since joining Barau FC. The fans and everyone have been good to me, and that has helped a lot,” he said.

Last season, Atule scored eight goals and provided five assists as Barau FC finished in eighth position in their first season in the NPFL.