Matchday 33 of the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) wrapped up over the weekend, delivering major twists in the title race, continental qualification battle, and relegation struggle.
Here are the top five talking points from the latest round of action:
Lobi Stars Relegated After Matchday 33
Lobi Stars have become the first team to be officially relegated from the NPFL this season following their 2-0 defeat to Kano Pillars.
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Stuck at the bottom of the table with just 25 points from 33 matches, Lobi Stars are now 16 points adrift of safety with only five matches left, meaning survival is mathematically impossible.
Despite cycling through more than four coaches this season, the club’s fortunes never turned around. A winless run in their last 14 games—comprising 9 losses and 5 draws—sums up a disastrous campaign for the Makurdi-based club.
Abia Warriors, Ikorodu City Favored as Continental Spots Rivals Fall
Abia Warriors earned a critical 2-0 victory over Rivers United to close the gap to just two points behind the second-placed team.
Ikorodu City also made a strong statement by thrashing Niger Tornadoes 3-0 in Lagos, moving up to fourth place, just one point behind Abia Warriors and three points behind Rivers United.
With five games left, the battle for CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup spots is heating up.
The weekend results favored Abia Warriors and Ikorodu City as other top contenders like Shooting Stars, Rangers, and Enyimba all suffered defeats.
Remo Stars Drop Rare Home Points
League leaders Remo Stars were held to a goalless draw at home by Katsina United, ust the second time this season they have failed to win at the Ikenne stadium after over 15 home games.
The result slows down their title charge, as they now lead Rivers United by seven points with five matches to go.
Having failed to win back-to-back games, Remo Stars must avoid further slip-ups, especially at home, if they intend to clinch the NPFL title.
Katsina United Slip into Relegation Zone
Despite earning a valuable point away at Remo Stars, Katsina United have slipped into the relegation zone, thanks to Nasarawa United’s dramatic 3-2 win over Plateau United in the North Central derby.
Nasarawa United have now won two consecutive games to climb out of the drop zone. At the same time, Katsina United have managed only one win in their last six matches—including a 6-0 humiliation by Ikorodu City.
Meanwhile, Sunshine Stars also boosted their survival hopes with a 2-0 win over Enyimba, keeping their fight to avoid relegation alive.
Two Away Wins Highlight Matchday 33
Only two away wins were recorded on Matchday 33, but both came with significant implications.
Heartland shocked Rangers with a 2-0 away win in Enugu—marking their first victory over Rangers in their last six meetings.
The result was particularly emotional, as it came a day after the passing of Rangers legend Christian Chukwu. It also allowed Heartland to momentarily stay off the relegation zone.
In Ilorin, Bendel Insurance edged Kwara United 1-0. Both teams are currently safe in mid-table positions.
With these results, all NPFL clubs except Lobi Stars and Katsina United have now recorded at least one away win this season.
Results at a glance
The NPFL Table After Matchday 33
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