Another thrilling installment of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is here, with Matchday 29 fixtures kicking off on Friday and spanning the entire weekend until Monday.
Here are five key takeaways from this week’s action in the NPFL. Enjoy!
Three “R” Teams Dominate the Top Three
At the conclusion of Matchday 29, the top three teams on the league table all have names starting with the letter “R.”
Remo Stars, Rivers United, and Rangers, in that order, secured victories to maintain their positions at the top with just nine matches left in the season.
Rivers United Back in the Title Race?
From the start of the season, Rivers United made no secret of their ambition to win the league.
They displayed a champion’s mentality by securing a crucial 1-0 victory over Elkanemi Warriors in Maiduguri—Elkanemi’s first home defeat in 687 days.
That rare away win ensured Rivers United remained eight points behind league leaders Remo Stars. With nine matchdays remaining, away victories could be the deciding factor in the title race.
Can Rivers United capitalize on this momentum and challenge for the title? Time will tell.
Lobi Stars and Shooting Stars’ Slump Continues
Lobi Stars and Shooting Stars continued their poor run of form on Matchday 29.
Despite appointing a new coach, Tony Bolus, Lobi Stars suffered a 1-0 defeat to Bayelsa United, extending their winless streak to 12 league matches.
Shooting Stars also fell further down the table after a 2-0 loss to Akwa United. The Oluyole Warriors have now gone seven NPFL matches without a win, drawing three and losing four.
Akwa United’s Relegation Survival Boost
Akwa United picked up a vital three points with a 2-0 victory over Shooting Stars, significantly boosting their survival hopes.
Their win came on a weekend when other relegation-threatened teams—Sunshine Stars, Nasarawa United, and Lobi Stars—failed to secure victories.
Heartland FC’s continued struggles also worked in Akwa United’s favor as they battle to avoid the drop.
Four-Goal Thrillers in Lagos and Ikenne
Matchday 29 was packed with goals, with a total of 23 goals scored across all fixtures—an average of 2.3 goals per match.
The most exciting games were in Lagos and Ikenne, where Ikorodu City drew 2-2 with Enyimba and Sunshine Stars played out a 2-2 draw with Plateau United.
All Matchday 29 Results
Niger Tornadoes 1-0 Katsina United
Rangers 3-0 Kwara United
Elkanemi Warriors 1-2 Rivers United
Kano Pillars 1-1 Nasarawa United
Abia Warriors 1-0 Bendel Insurance
Akwa United 2-0 Shooting Stars
Bayelsa United 1-0 Lobi Stars
Ikorodu City 2-2 Enyimba
Remo Stars 2-0 Heartland FC
Sunshine Stars 2-2 Plateau United
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