Joseph Atule began his push towards a personal 19- or 20-goal target by scoring in Barau FC’s 3-1 victory over Nasarawa United in their opening match of the 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League campaign.
Atule strikes early in Kano
The former Enyimba attacker needed just 15 minutes to find the net at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano, giving Barau the lead and opening his account for the new season.
Nasarawa United levelled the contest five minutes later, with Abubakar Abdullahi finishing for the visitors. The score remained 1-1 until the final stages, when Barau regained control.
- Al-Amin Umar put Barau ahead again in the 78th minute.
- Sugau Aliyu added a third goal four minutes later to complete the 3-1 result.
A bigger attacking challenge
Atule’s early goal carried added importance because he had openly set himself the challenge of making a major improvement to his scoring record this season.
Before the campaign began, the winger said he had considered his objective carefully and pushed himself to aim high. He explained that, even if he did not reach 20 goals, he wanted to finish with a substantially higher total.
Building on last season
Atule contributed eight goals and five assists for Barau during the previous season. His latest target indicates that he intends to assume greater responsibility in the team’s attack during the 2026/27 campaign.
