By Kunle Solaja.

The Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) season is heading for a dramatic climax, with both the title race and relegation dogfight finely poised following Matchday 34 fixtures.

At the top of the table, the contest for supremacy has tightened into a two-horse race between Enugu Rangers and Rivers United FC, who are locked on 55 points apiece after 33 matches. Rangers currently hold a superior goal difference (+15), giving them a slender edge in what promises to be a thrilling finish.

Rivers United, however, have a crucial opportunity to seize control when they host Plateau United FC, knowing that any slip by Rangers could swing momentum decisively in their favour. Rangers themselves face a tricky away tie against Niger Tornadoes FC, a side battling to steer clear of relegation trouble.

Just behind the leading duo, Ikorodu City FC and Abia Warriors FC remain within striking distance on 52 points. However, Abia Warriors suffered a setback with a 1-0 defeat to Bendel Insurance FC on Saturday, a result that not only boosted Insurance’s push into the top half but also dented Abia’s title ambitions.

Nasarawa United FC and Shooting Stars Sports Club, both on 50 points, are still mathematically in the race but may need near-perfect finishes and favourable results elsewhere to challenge for the top three positions. Shooting Stars face a pivotal clash against Kwara United, a fixture that carries significance at both ends of the table.

Relegation Battle Heats Up

While the title race grabs headlines, the struggle for survival is even more intense, with several clubs separated by just a few points at the bottom.

Kun Khalifat FC prop up the table with 36 points and face a must-win encounter against Warri Wolves. Anything less than victory could leave their survival hopes hanging by a thread.

Just above them, Wikki Tourists FC (37 points) and Kwara United (39 points, with a points deduction) are also in danger. Kwara United’s clash with Shooting Stars could prove decisive, while Wikki Tourists face a tough trip to Bayelsa United, another side not yet safe.

The relegation scrap extends further up the table, with Remo Stars, Bayelsa United, and Enyimba all hovering around the 40-point mark. Remo Stars face a daunting test against high-flying Barau FC, while Enyimba must navigate a tricky fixture against Katsina United FC.

Even traditionally strong sides like Kano Pillars and Niger Tornadoes FC are not entirely safe, highlighting the depth of the relegation battle this season.

Season Reaches Boiling Point

With just a handful of matches remaining, every fixture now carries enormous weight. The title contenders must maintain consistency under pressure, while those at the bottom are fighting for survival with equal desperation.

From the summit clash between Rangers and Rivers United to the survival scrap involving nearly half the table, the NPFL is set for a pulsating finale where both glory and heartbreak remain very much on the line.

MatchDay 34 Fixtures

Saturday, April 11, 2026

• ‎Bendel Insurance 1-0 Abia Warriors

‎Sunday, April 12, 2026

• ‎Shooting Stars V Kwara United
• ‎Barau FC v Remo Stars
• ‎Niger Tornadoes V Enugu Rangers
• ‎Enyimba V Katsina United
• ‎Bayelsa United V Wikki Tourists
• ‎Ikorodu City V Kano Pillars
• ‎Rivers United V Plateau United
• ‎Kun Khalifat Fc V Warri Wolves

‎Monday, April 13, 2026

• ‎El-Kanemi Warriors V Nasarawa United

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Britain’s former heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, has reignited calls for a long-awaited domestic super-fight after defeating Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision on Saturday night.

Fighting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Fury delivered a composed and commanding performance to secure his first victory since his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in October 2024. That loss had denied the “Gypsy King” a chance to reclaim the WBC title, but he showed no signs of decline in a bout he ultimately controlled from the middle rounds onward.

Makhmudov started brightly, pressing forward aggressively and forcing Fury onto the ropes in the early exchanges. However, the Russian struggled to inflict meaningful damage as Fury gradually imposed his superior ring craft.

Once Fury established his jab and controlled the distance, the fight tilted decisively in his favour. Switching stances with ease, the 37-year-old Briton mixed head and body attacks, punishing Makhmudov whenever he attempted to clinch. As the contest wore on, Fury’s dominance became more pronounced, with the Briton picking his shots and rarely looking troubled.

All three judges scored the 12-round contest comfortably for Fury, returning verdicts of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109.

But it was what happened after the final bell that electrified the crowd.

With fellow Briton Anthony Joshua watching from ringside, Fury seized the microphone and issued a direct challenge.

“Next, I want to give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for. I want you AJ, Anthony Joshua… the Battle of Britain. I challenge you… do you accept my challenge?” Fury declared.

Joshua, a former unified heavyweight champion, declined to be drawn into an immediate verbal exchange but signalled his willingness to finally settle the rivalry in the ring.

“Tyson, I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you,” Joshua responded. “I’ve been chasing you for the last 10 years… when you’re ready, come and see me.”

The exchange has once again fuelled anticipation for what could become the biggest fight in British boxing history, with fans hopeful that negotiations—after years of near misses—can finally deliver the long-awaited showdown between the two heavyweight giants.

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Dakar and Rabat have longstanding ties, but relations have been strained since the Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won in mid-January before being stripped of the title, which was transferred to Morocco.

Now the AFCON trophy is something of a thorn in the two countries’ sides.

On Rue Mohamed V, the street where Moroccan vendors are based in the Senegalese capital, a police van is parked.

“The police have been on high alert since the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to award the title to Morocco, but there have been no incidents,” a local resident told AFP.

CAF stripped Senegal of its title on March 17, over the team’s angry departure from the pitch after a penalty was awarded to Morocco late in second-half stoppage time.

In a photo the following day, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was seen in his office with the trophy behind him.

Senegal has lodged an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the matter, and some fans have meanwhile called for a boycott of Moroccan goods.

On March 18, Dakar called for an international investigation into “allegations of corruption within the CAF leadership” in a statement that sent a chill through Morocco.

“An official (Senegalese) document mentioned corruption. It insinuates that Morocco is the corrupting influence without, of course, any evidence and this could have repercussions,” Morocco’s Aziz Daouda, a track and field official and former athlete, told AFP.

He added that “comments made by certain Senegalese football officials are damaging relations” between the two countries, referring to allegations that Morocco controls CAF.

‘Hostages’ of Morocco
 

One of Senegal’s points of contention is the detention of 18 Senegalese football fans in Morocco for more than two months now.

They were sentenced on February 19 to prison terms ranging from three months to a year for hooliganism.

Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegalese supporters attempted to storm the pitch while Senegal’s players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes in protest of the late penalty to Morocco.

The appeal hearing for the 18 fans was postponed for a second time on Monday until April 13.

Dozens of demonstrators in Dakar called for their release at the end of February, describing them as “hostages” of Morocco.

“One gets the impression that this affair goes beyond the realm of sport and that is regrettable. For two countries that claim to be friends, such as Morocco and Senegal, things should not have come to this,” Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said in late February, lamenting the supporters’ convictions.

That said, Morocco’s relationship with Senegal is “unique, specific and extraordinary”, Senegal’s Director of Religious Affairs Djim Ousmane Drame said in a recent article.

“Morocco has always been the only (African) country with which diplomatic relations with Senegal are based on an emotional bond and popular appeal, beyond the institutions and bilateral ties,” Bakary Sambe of the Timbuktu Institute think tank told AFP.

Fez, for example, is a favourite destination for many Senegalese Muslim followers of Tidianism, an influential brotherhood in Senegal whose founder, Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane, is buried there.

Moroccan authorities meanwhile made no comment and “preferred not to get involved in this football affair” following the CAF decision, Daouda said.

Business, diplomacy partners
 

In late January in Rabat, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch spoke of a “natural, lasting” relationship with Senegal where he said Morocco has invested more than $540 million.

Many Moroccan companies operate in Senegal, particularly in the food, pharmaceutical, energy, construction, mining, banking and insurance sectors.

On the international stage, the two countries’ diplomatic views are generally aligned.

Senegalese nationals constitute the largest group of foreign residents in the kingdom (18.4 percent), according to official figures, and a robust student exchange also exists between the two countries.

“There are many of us on both sides trying to calm down all those hotheads from both camps who enjoy spreading irresponsible claims, lots of ‘fake news’ and plenty of insults,” Daouda said.

Former Senegalese foreign minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio wrote in early February that “a hundred minutes of football will never be able to ruin a thousand years of close ties between Senegal and Morocco”.

-AFP

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