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RELEGATION BATTLES HIGHLIGHTS FINAL MATCH DAY OF NIGERIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE

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BY PROMISE ETIM
The final round of matches in the regular Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) season holds on Sunday, with two teams expected to join Niger Tornadoes and Remo Stars to the lower division from Group A, while three others are expected to drop alongside Yobe Desert Stars from Group B.

www.npfl.ng previews what could be an intriguing day of action across 12 different venues in the country.

Group A

Aside from Rangers International, Lobi Stars, Enyimba International and playoff chasing MFM of Lagos, six teams (Bendel Insurance, Rivers United, Katsina United, Wikki Tourists, Sunshine Stars and Kwara United) are faced with difficult task of beating the drop, as only two of these six teams play themselves (Rivers United v Bendel Insurance).

Rivers United as at Matchday 17 were relishing the prospects of a playoff spot, but that dream went up in smoke on Matchday 21 when they were beaten 1-0 by Rangers International in Enugu.

They face Bendel Insurance, who got promoted to the top flight in the previous campaign.

A draw for both sides could be enough to keep them in the premier division, but the outcome of Rivers United and Bendel Insurance’s clash in Port Harcourt, will also be dependent on what transpires between Sunshine Stars and MFM FC at the Akure Township Stadium. Rivers United and Bendel Insurance are on 28 points apiece, a win with two goals advantage for Sunshine Stars and draw in Port Harcourt could turn the tide, as all three teams could end up on 29 points, with Rivers United going into the matchday with a zero goal difference.

Katsina United could also avoid the drop if they beat seven-time champions Enyimba at home.

A win for Abdullahi Biffo’s men could take them to 30 points, but the task seems a difficult challenge as the visitors Enyimba FC are aware if they slip in Katsina, MFM FC could leapfrog them to the third playoff spot, if the Lagos side win in Akure, away to Sunshine Stars.

Wikki Tourists host leader Rangers International, who have already qualified for the playoff.

A win for Aliyu Zubairu’s men in their adopted home ground (the Pantami Stadium in Gombe), could see them take their points haul to 30 and that should guaranteed their safety.

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Kwara United also are with a slight chance of beating the drop, as they travel to already-relegated Niger Tornadoes.

Kwara United’s chances will solely be dependent on matches from other venues. While Rivers United host Insurance in Port Harcourt, Kwara United could drop neither of them to the relegation zone if they secure a win in Minna.

While others will be hoping to survive on Sunday, Lobi Stars will be hoping to cement their place in the playoff, when the visit Remo Stars at Sagamu, with the latter already planning for life in the lower division. 

Group B

Akwa United, Kano Pillars and FC Ifeanyiubah are the only teams that are safe. With Akwa and Pillars having secured their places in the playoff on Matchdays 20 and 21 respectively, FC Ifeanyiubah will be hoping to do so on Matchday 22, when the host Akwa.

FC Ifeanyiubah need only a draw against the Uyo-based side to book their place in the Super-6.

Defeat for them, could mean Nasarawa United, El-Kanemi Warriors and Delta Force could leapfrog them to third spot, if they secure wins in their respectively games.

If such scenario emerges, Nasarawa United can pick the final playoff spot, by securing a win away to already-relegated Yobe Stars, while El-Kanemi will need to win with two goals advantage at the Okigwe Township Stadium, against Heartland FC. However, given the same scenario of FC Ifeanyiubah slipping at home, Delta Force might need to get an eight-goal haul to improve their goals difference when they host relegation-threatened Plateau United. 

Also banking on a positive result on Sunday to qualify for the playoff, any of Nasarawa United, El-Kanemi and Delta Force could also be relegated if Plateau United, Abia Warriors, Heartland, Gombe United and Go Round secure wins in their respectively games. 

Maikaba’s Plateau United could be relegated if they fail to secure at least a point in Asaba away to Delta Force depending on results elsewhere.

A draw for the 2017 champions might just not be enough to keep them in the top division if Heartland FC get a win at home to El-Kanemi Warriors in Okigwe. 

Abia Warriors’ 2-2 draw in Uyo on Matchday 21, may not be enough to guarantee their safety, as they need to finish the job against Kano Pillars at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

Abia Warriors are level on 28 points with Heartland, with a better goals difference than their neighbours and may need to score more goals to avert danger, assuming the Owerri side improve on their goals difference with a big margin win (against El-Kanemi), and the rest of the teams threatened by relegation win their respective games. 

Gombe United and Go Round have outside chances of beating the drop, but one of them will have to experience life in the lower league as both teams clash in Omoku on Sunday.

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A draw could still see both teams relegated, but a win could salvage one of them. Go Round are however disadvantaged, with a negative goals difference of six, meaning they need to win with a margin of at least five or six goals, to stand a chance, depending on results from other venues. 

All games are billed to kickoff by 4pm this Sunday at the 12 different venues. 

The fixtures

Group A

Wikki Tourists v Rangers 
Rivers United v Bendel  Insurance 
Remo Stars v Lobi Stars 
Niger Tornadoes v Kwara United 
Katsina United v Enyimba
Sunshine Stars v MFM

Group B
Yobe Stars v Nasarawa United 
Go Round v Gombe United 
Delta Force v Plateau United
Abia Warriors v Kano Pillars 
FC Ifeanyiubah v Akwa United 
Heartland FC v El-Kanemi

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Nigerian Football

Season’s first win for Akwa United and Ikorodu City

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The miserable run of Akwa United and Ikorodu City came to an end after six games in the Nigerian Premier League this season. Both teams were initially glued at the bottom of the league table.

They now got respite as Akwa United beat Kano Pillar by 2-0 while Ikorodu City even did what could be considered an upset, beating Bendel Insurance 3-0.

Remo Stars bounced back to the top of the log after a 3-0 defeat of Nasarawa United. Shooting Stars are yet to get their rhythm this season, playing a barren draw with Enyimba in Ibadan.

Kwara United who got their first full points of the season last week after a 1-0 defeat of Remo Stars could not consolidate as they were beaten 1-0 by Abia Warriors.

Heartland under Emmanuel Amuneke are gradually recovering as they got a valuable away draw against El-Kanemi Warriors.

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Behold! Nigeria Football’s October 8 Magic

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Nigeria’s Godwin Iwelumo terrorising Egypt’s goalmouth 47 years ago in an October 8 match. Nigeria won 4-0 inflicting the worst ever defeat on Egypt in a World Cup qualifier.

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

It is 75 years since Nigeria’s national football team first played an international match. That was on 8 October 1949 when the first set of Nigeria’s assembly on their return voyage stopped over in Freetown and engaged Sierra Leone in an international football match. Nigeria won 2-0, setting a chain of positive results on 8 October.

 The country never lost any competitive duel on that date. More significantly, the Super Eagles first qualified for the World Cup on an 8 October date.

 That was in 1993 when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Algeria in the quest for USA ‘94 World Cup.

 Nigeria became the first English-speaking African country to qualify for the World Cup. Another significance of the October 8 match at the July 5 Stadium, Algiers is that Nigeria were unbeaten for the first time by Algeria at home.

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 The only deviation from the 8 October Magic was in 2015 when Nigeria lost 2-0 to Congo in a friendly match.

 Twenty-six years after Nigeria’s debut international match, one of Africa’s biggest football nations, Egypt fell to the October 8 magic, losing 4-0 to Nigeria in the last stage of the triangular World Cup qualifying series for Argentina ’78.

Up till October 15, 2013, when Ghana beat Egypt 6-1 in Kumasi, the October 8, 1977 duel with Nigeria remained Egypt’s biggest loss in a World Cup qualifying match.

 Before the 1977 duel, Nigeria in 1963 played a friendly match with Liberia in Monrovia. The October 8 magic was active, even in an away match. Nigeria drew 2-2 in their very first encounter with Liberia. It was shortly after the team had,  through a protest, upturned a victory by Guinea to pick Nigeria’s very first African Nations’ Cup ticket.

Little wonder then that when FIFA suspended Nigeria in 2010, the world governing body provisionally lifted the ban on October 8!

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Nigeria on 8 October

  • 1949 – Freetown (Friendly) Sierra Leone 0-2 Nigeria
  • 1963 – Monrovia (Friendly) Liberia 2-2 Nigeria
  • 1977 – Lagos (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
  • 1993 – Algiers (World Cup qualifier) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria… qualify for USA ‘94.
  • 2005 – Abuja (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe
  • 2010 – FIFA, in apparent respect to the 8 October magic, provisionally lifted a ban imposed on   Nigeria.
  • 2011 – Abuja (African Nations Cup qualifier) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea. Although undefeated, Nigeria failed to make it to the 2012 African Nations Cup.  
  • 2015 – D.R. Congo beat Nigeria 2-0 in Visé, Belgium. The ‘October 8 Magic’ is finally broken.
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 Rivers flow to the top!

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Rivers United have launched themselves to the top of the log at the end of the match day 5 of the Nigeria Premier League. The Port Harcourt side beat Akwa United 2-1 to go afloat after initial leaders, Remo Stars crumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Kwara United in Ilorin on Sunday.

It was Remo Stars’ first defeat in the season. Rivers United are now with 13 points. Stephen Mayo put Rivers United ahead after  31 minutes. But it turned a temporary lead as Akwa United bounced back almost at the blast of the referee’s whistle for the second half.  

Friday Apollos levelled up for Akwa United before Ndifreke Effiong Udo scored the winner in the 85th minute.

Sunday Results

  • Kwara United 1-0 Remo Stars
  • Rangers International 1-0 Abia Warriors
  • Heartland FC 2-0 Niger Tornadoes
  •  Kano Pillars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
  • Plateau United 1-0 Ikorodu City
  •  Rivers United 2-1 Akwa United
  •  Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
  •  Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United

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