Sikiru Alimi, who narrowly missed out on last season’s NPFL golden boot, isn’t chasing personal awards this time around.
Despite a slow start to the current campaign, the Remo Stars striker has his sights set on something bigger, Footballrover reports.
But what’s driving his rejection of personal glory—and why did illness stall his progress early on?
The Super Eagles forward spoke to renowned sport broadcast journalist and news caster Rhairom Zamora recently.
And when asked about his approach to goal-scoring and whether his reluctance to take chances was out of selflessness or a weariness of finding the back of the net, Alimi’s response was both straightforward and intriguing.
“Yes!! I get that (question) a lot, like always, ‘you’re a striker; you need to be selfish,’ but for me personally, I don’t see it that way. When you have to score, you have to score,” he said. When the goal starts coming effortlessly, it will start coming like that. I’ve always been like that, and I’ll hardly change.”
Such a philosophy is rare among strikers, known for their hunger to score at all costs. Yet, Alimi’s mindset is firmly rooted in teamwork.
After finishing the 2023/24 NPFL season as the second-highest scorer with 15 goals—two shy of Enyimba’s Chijioke Mbaoma—Sikiru Alimi seems unfazed by individual accomplishments.
His focus instead is on helping his team succeed. When asked what’s next after last season’s near-miss, he responded without hesitation:
“I want to do much better than I did last season with the team. Personally, I don’t fancy personal awards, but I just want to keep improving, keep helping the team score, and amass important points.”
Sikiru Alimi explains slow start to the NPFL25 season
Despite his ambition, the 28-year-old’s current form hasn’t matched the heights of last season, with just one goal so far this campaign.
Alimi has a direct explanation for his slow start:
“I started low this season because I was sick towards the beginning of the league. Eventually, I’m getting more minutes as time goes on, and I hope to build on it and keep scoring.”
That lone goal came during Remo Stars’ 3-0 win over Nasarawa United, where Alimi netted the opening goal.
Although he’s not yet firing on all cylinders, the Remo frontman is confident that his form will improve as he regains full fitness.
Interestingly, beyond his performance on the pitch, Alimi also drew attention to a personal tradition that fans and teammates have noticed—his iconic shin guard.
“I play with the shin guard every day. Every matchday, it’s always with me. It’s my personal shin guard. I think I already sent the message I needed to. Most people do ask me for it, and I make it obvious to them that I still play with them.”
Sikiru Alimi remains focused on recovering his goal-scoring touch while continuing to help his teammates succeed, proving that for him, team glory comes first—even at the cost of personal recognition.
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