After his brace against NorthEast United FC at the PJN Stadium in Margao, Goa on Monday, Bartholomew Ogbeche of Hyderabad FC became the all-time greatest goalscorer in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL).
Apart from Ogbeche, Akash Mishra (45th), Nikhil Poojary (84th), and Edu Garcia (88th) also scored as Manolo Marquez’s men ran riot at the PJN Stadium, extending their advantage at the top to four points and completing a double over the Highlanders.
Becoming the Leading Goalscorer
In the Hero ISL, the Nigerian scored 49 goals, passing Sunil Chhetri and Ferran Corominas, who were tied on 48 goals. Ogbeche has also scored the most goals for three separate clubs in the Hero ISL: Northeast United FC, Kerala Blasters FC, and Hyderabad FC.
The veteran was signed by NorthEast United FC ahead of the ISL 2018-19 season, and he had an immediate impact, leading his new club to its first-ever top-four finish in the league after finishing as the Highlanders’ top scorer with 12 goals.
Ogbeche’s Current Performance
In the next season, the Nigerian switched allegiances to Kerala Blasters FC, where he ended up as the league’s joint-top scorer with 15 goals. In the next season, Ogbeche added eight goals to his tally as he helped Mumbai City FC win their first ISL title, before joining Hyderabad FC for the ISL 2021-22 season. He is not in the mood to stop scoring, having already scored 14 goals in 13 games this season.
Ogbeche began his professional career as a youth for Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, where he scored in the 2001-02 season. His career took off from there, and he went on to play for Al-Jazira in the UAE Football League, Real Valladolid in the Spanish La Liga, and SC Cambuur in the Dutch top flight.
