Nigerian Football
Debutant Olasupo strengthens Remo Stars’ grip on Nigeria League leadership
Nigerian league leaders have extended their hold on the log with a 12-point gap after labouring to a hard-won victory over relegation struggling Plateau United.
Great thanks to debutant, Samson Olasupo whose 74th minute goal gave Remo Stars the maximum points. He came in on the half hour mark for Sikiru Alimi before becoming a scoring debutant.
The match was heading for a goalless draw after Remo Stars had missed a penalty kick in the first half and a goal in the 50th minute by Sikiru Alimi was questionably ruled offside by Referee Bashir Adamu Liman from Kaduna State.
The result has pushed the Remo side to 54 points but will wait till the conclusion of Monday’s match between Shooting Stars and Rivers United as the 12-point gap will certainly be narrowed by either a point or three.
Both Shooting Stars and Rivers United are tied on points at 42. A draw will reduce the gap with Remo Stars to 11 and a win by either side will see Remo Stars leading by nine points.
In Kano, the defending champion Enugu Rangers suffered a 2-1 defeat against the Kano Pillars and tumbled down the ladder to the fifth position on the log.
Bashiru Usman’s well-taken penalty gave the visitors the lead in the 33rd minute, but veteran defender Rabiu Ali restored parity three minutes before the end of the first stanza, and Jerry Alex scored the winning goal in the 60th minute.
Abia Warriors and Nasarawa United battled to a 1-1 scoreline in Abakaliki. The home side, Abia opened the score in the 31st minute through Sunday Megwo but the visiting Nasarawa side restored parity in the 37th minute via Mohammed Garba.
Bendel Insurance’s impressive five-match run was brought to a halt in Yenagoa following a 1-2 defeat by host, Bayelsa United. Bendel Insurance had not lost any match since the late-minute lone goal loss to Shooting Stars in Ibadan last month.
Interestingly, it was the away side that drew the first blood in the 36th minutethrough Kayode Solomon but the home side drew level in the added time of the first half through James Emorun before Bina Tombiri scored the winner in the 69th minute.
Former Champion, Enyimba revived the chances of top finishing with a lone goal away win at Niger Tornadoes. It was Joseph Atule’s strike in the 62nd minute that settled the score.
In Lagos, Ikorodu City handed a two-nil defeat to Heartland of Owerri with goals from Leonard Ngenge in the 9th minute and Ayomide Cole in the 59th minute of the match.
SUNDAY RESULTS
- Remo Stars 1-0 Plateau Utd
- Abia Warriors 1-1 Nasarawa Utd
- Bayelsa Utd 2-1 Insurance
- Kao Pillars 2-1 Rangers
- Ikorodu City 2-0 Heartland
- Tornadoes 0-1 Enyimba
Monday fixtures
- Shooting Stars Vs River Utd
- El Kanemi Vs Lobi
- Akwa Utd Vs Katsina Utd
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Sunshine Stars on Saturday beat Kwara United 4-2 in Ikenne to temporarily swim out of the relegation zone of the Nigeria Premier Football League.
The win has pulled the team up to the 16th position, just a step above the sink line.
But their position at match day 27 will only be confirmed after Sunday’s matches.
Matches that are likely to affect Sunshine Stars’ standing are those of Abia Warriors versus Nasarawa United, Bayelsa United versus Bendel Insurance and the encounter between Akwa United and Katsina United.
The three-match ultimatum issued to the technical crew of Sunshine Stars seemed to have galvanised the troubled side into action.
Before now, they have been having a poor run in the final leg of the league in which they garnered just seven points out of the obtainable 21.
On Saturday, they sprang into action and got the opening goal in the 11th minute through Ahmadu Liman. He was the hero of the day, scoring a hattrick.
But 11 minutes after Liman’s opener, Kwara United drew level through Adesina Gata. In the 27th minute, Kwara United went ahead through Wasiu Alalade.
Sunshine Stars were gifted a goal by Kwara United’s Olaniyi Saheed. A minute into added time, Liman put Sunshine ahead at 3-2, before completing his hat-trick three minutes after the second half resumed.
According to Opta Nigeria, Liman’s hattrick for Sunshine Stars is the earliest hattrick scored in the NPFL since Yusuf Abdullahi scored for Kano Pillars (33′ vs Gombe Utd) in December 2023. Rejuvenated.
Sunday’s Fixtures
- Kano Pillars v Enugu Rangers
- Abia Warriors v Nasarawa United
- Remo Stars v Plateau United
- Bayelsa United v Bendel United
- Ikorodu City v Heartland
- El Kanemi Warriors v Lobi Stars
- Niger Tornadoes v Enyimba
- Shooting Stars v Rivers United
- Akwa United v Katsina United
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The Nigeria Football Federation has continued the search for clarity concerning the tragic death of former Nigeria U20 player, Abubakar Lawal, in Uganda on Monday.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, reiterated on Friday that the country’s football-ruling body has kept its feet on the throttle regarding the matter, and will not relent until the truth is unveiled on the cause of the player’s death.
Lawal died on Monday morning, with initial reports saying he died in a motorbike accident, and later in a car crash.
Hours later, the Ugandan Police stated that he actually died after falling from the third floor of a hotel at the Voicemail Shopping Mall in Bwebajja. He was said to have been at the mall to visit a friend, Tanzanian lady Naima Omary, who moved into the hotel a month earlier.
Omary has since been taken into custody by the Ugandan Police.
“We are not relenting in the search for truth. The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed the determination to dig out the truth, and ourselves have reached out to our counterparts in the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) to help us find out the truth.
“The circumstances surrounding the player’s passing remain steeped in mystery, but we are committed to doing the little we can to shed light on it and help the Federal Government in its quest for truth.”
Hours after the unfortunate incident on Monday, Sanusi put a call through to his opposite number in FUFA, Edgar Watson Suubi, to call for urgent assistance in getting to the root of the matter.
Suubi responded that “it is a sad situation. I also have received divergent reports on the incident, but I have delegated somebody to go and find out what happened, and then we’ll be able to send you a copy of the report from either the Police, the Medical or any authority that’s in the position to give us a satisfactory answer.”
The NFF followed up Sanusi’s phone conversation with a formal letter, in which it disclosed that “there has been so much outcry in our country with regards to the mystery of his death, and I have decided to reach to you, as a colleague, to help shed light on how the player actually met his end.
“It is a very sad situation for us in Nigerian football and for his family, and it is important to get these facts to enable some closure on his tragic passing. We would also like to know what arrangements are being made to get his remains back to his family in Nigeria.”
Lawal was a member of the Nigeria squad at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals in New Zealand 10 years ago and was a key player for Ugandan elite division club Vipers FC before his demise.
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The match day 26 duel of Rivers United and Katsina United could not be concluded on Thursday as the match was disrupted by rainfall at half-time.
The home side was leading 1-0 through a 17th minute goal by Ubong Friday. The match will be concluded at 9 am on Friday.
Before the disruption, Rivers United had climbed up from the fifth position to the second position on the live scores table, sharing 42 points with Shooting Stars but having an advantage in goal difference.
In another match, Bendel Insurance beat Ikorodu City 2-1 in Benin on Thursday night. Stanley Okoroma put the home side ahead in the 52nd minute after which Shola Adelani drew level two minutes later for Ikorodu City.
Uche Collins got the winner for Bendel in the 69th minute. With 35 points, Bendel Insurance are now 11th on the log while Ikorodu City are seventh with their 38 points.
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- Nigerian Football5 days ago
Flying Eagles land in Cote d’Ivoire for AFCON U-20 dress rehearsal
- Other Leagues3 days ago
Nigeria’s Victor Olatunji is Man of the Match in quest for Czech Cup title defence
- Nigerian Football5 days ago
NFF congratulates Bassey, Danladi on government appointments
- Nigerian Football4 days ago
Video: Flying Eagles thrash Cote d’Ivoire 2-0 in Abidjan
- World Cup1 week ago
Setback for Chelle as Super Eagles’ defender picks up injury
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles to face Cote d’Ivoire in friendly duel
- International Football1 day ago
Libya signs on former Senegal manager, Aliou Cissé as national coach
- Governing Bodies1 week ago
CAS dismisses Rubiales appeal against FIFA’s three-year ban