BY APESIN ADEMOLA

The second phase of the 2018/19 Nigeria Professional Football League, which started on Saturday with Group A leaders MFM losing to Insurance in Benin 0-1, will get into full swing on Sunday with matches in eight centres.

In Group A, Enyimba, who are second on the log, will have the chance to close the gap on leaders MFM. The Lagos side retain a six-point gap at the summit, while FC Ifeanyi Ubah top Group B.

Enyimba have won all but one of their home fixtures this season, the only one being a goalless result against defending champions Lobi Stars on Matchday 3, while their visitors Sunshine Stars have won one game away (versus Wikki Tourists) and drawn another (versus Kwara United) out of five matches on the road. At some point in the season, the Akure Gunners were in second spot but have since dropped three steps down.

Lobi Stars, who were at the foot of the table while accumulating domestic fixtures during their now failed continental campaign, have since been catapulted to No 3. The Pride of Benue have the venues of their back-to-back encounters against bottom placed Niger Tornadoes swapped to avoid too many away matches in their schedule. Therefore, rather than host Tornadoes this Sunday for Matchday 12, they journey to Minna for Matchday 11 game.

Katsina United, in No 4, travel to Ilorin to engage a disappointing Kwara United. The Harmony Boys of Ilorin started the season with purpose and led the group on Matchday 3 but have failed to sustain the tempo, a situation that has now dragged them into the relegation four.

Their opponents Katsina United are among the front runners, and if they maintain their consistency, the Changi Boys may well finish in top three and challenge for the title through the Super 6.

Like Lobi Stars, Rangers too have to concentrate on the domestic scene after crashing out of the CAF Confederation Cup. With six outstanding fixtures, the fans of the Flying Antelope may worry less about their current standing at No 7, and 10 points adrift of top team MFM.

In Group B, four matches are also on offer, while the other two will be played later.

With leaders FC IfeanyiUbah not on duty, the door is open for either Akwa United and El-Kanemi Warriors to take charge of this section, even if temporarily.

For a side that started the season with a home defeat through a last minute blunder by their keeper, Akwa United have done remarkably well to rise above the setback in arriving at second place, only two points behind the top spot. Since that early blip, the Promise Keepers have gone on to win three home matches and shared honours with Plateau United in the other, while also winning two away fixtures.

Akwa United will be up against Heartland, who have gone down the pecking order; a team that had occupied No 1 on three Matchdays now marginally above the relegation zone.

El-Kanemi Warriors will file out at Pantami Stadium, Gombe where the home side have not been delivering results. In five matches on that ground, Gombe United have won only two, drawn the same number and lost one. If the Warriors reenact the form that made them to pip Akwa United in Uyo on the season’s opening day, Gombe United will be in further trouble as they are just one point and one step above Yobe Desert Stars, the last team in the group, who face seventh-placed Go Round.

The fixtures… 

Group A (Matchday 12): 

• Rivers United v Wikki Tourists
• Rangers v Remo Stars
• Kwara United v Katsina United
• Enyimba v Sunshine Stars
• Lobi Stars v Niger Tornadoes (rescheduled)

Matchday 11: 

• Niger Tornadoes v Lobi Stars

Group B (Matchday 12): 

• Go Round v Yobe Desert Stars
• Plateau United v Abia Warriors
•  Akwa United v Heartland
•  Gombe United v El-Kanemi Warriors
• Kano Pillars v FC Ifeanyi Ubah (Wednesday, March 27)
•  Nasarawa United v Kada City (Wednesday, April 3)