Organisers of the prestigious Nigeria Pitch Awards have announced their nominees for the 2025 edition, with Nasarawa United’s prolific forward, Anas Yusuf, earning a standout nomination for the dtriker of the year award.
Yusuf’s inclusion places him in elite company, as he is set to compete against two of Nigeria’s most celebrated international stars: Ademola Lookman, the dynamic forward from Serie A’s Atalanta, and Victor Osimhen, the powerhouse striker for Turkish giants Galatasaray.
This nomination shines a spotlight on the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), highlighting the quality emerging from the domestic scene.
The “Solid Miners” striker earned his nomination through a phenomenal individual campaign in the 2024-25 NPFL season. Yusuf was the defining force in front of goal, clinching the league’s Golden Boot award by finding the net an impressive 18 times.
His consistent performances and clinical finishing were pivotal for Nasarawa United, establishing him as the most feared domestic striker in the country.
Carrying that formidable form into the new campaign, Yusuf has already notched six goals in the current NPFL season, demonstrating that his previous year’s success was no fluke and cementing his status as a persistent threat to defenses across the league.
The reigning holder of the Striker of the Year award is Ademola Lookman, who claimed the honor in 2024—a year that also saw him crowned the African Footballer of the Year.
This sets the stage for a compelling contest, pitting the established prowess of Nigeria’s European-based stars against the rising, homegrown excellence of Anas Yusuf.
His nomination is widely seen as a triumph for the NPFL and a testament to the league’s role in developing top-tier attacking talent.
