NPFL: Remo Stars, Rivers Utd Share Points, Retain Top Spots

Femi Solaja

The highly anticipated top-of-the-table Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) clash between hosts Remo Stars and Rivers United in Ikenne ended one-all as both teams preserved their unbeaten start to the season.

Barely 10 minutes into the game, Andy Okpe fired hosts Remo into the lead but Rivers United levelled scores two minutes before the break.

But with first stanza approaching, disaster struck due to poor timing of Goalkeeper Kayode Bankole who failed to hold firmly a back pass and allowed Akuneto Chijioke to snatch the ball and tapped into an empty net for Rivers United equaliser.

Play was held for about five minutes as home side protested handball but there was no VAR to help the referee check if indeed it was hand ball. When play resumed, the hosts were on front foot again but failed to get the needed goal till the end of the stanza.

The second half was more predictable as the Rivers United held tight to the score-line but were lucky not to have conceded the second goal when Dayo Ojo’s long range free kick struck the bar while another attempt in the 81st minute by Okpe failed to beat the goalkeeper.

The draw means both teams remain on 19 points from nine matches and in the top two positions in the league. Rivers United maintained the top spot with better goal difference

They are three points above third placed Enyimba who beat Katsina United 2-1 in Aba on Saturday.

Elsewhere, reigning champions Akwa United returned to winning ways with a resolute performance in Abuja against hosts Niger Tornadoes.

In a game that witnessed plenty of missed chances, new signing Leo Ezekiel scored the only goal in the 69th minute to give Kennedy Boboye some respite.

Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan were another side that enjoyed away success on MatchDay 9 as they compounded the woes of MFM FC, inflicting a 0-1 defeat on the Lagos based side.

Midfielder Dare Olatunji scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game in the sixth minute with MFM failing to provide a response at the Teslim Balogun Stadium. It was MFM’s third home loss of the season and 3SC’s first away win in the NPFL in six years.

Former league topscorer Junior Lokosa scored for Kwara United in their 2-0 triumph over Gombe United in Ilorin. Lokosa’s strike in the 36th minute was the first of two by Kwara within three minutes as Alao Danbani added a second two minutes later. The win returns Kwara to the top half half of the table.

MATCH DAY 9

Enyimba 2-1 Katsina Utd

Sunshine 3-0 Lobi Stars

Heartland 0-1 Kano Pillars

Tornadoes 0-1 Akwa Utd

Kwara Utd 2-0 Gombe Utd

MFM FC 0-1 Shooting Stars

Remo Stars 1-1 Rivers Utd

Dakkada 0-0 Rangers Int’l

Plateau Utd 1-0 Abia Warriors

Wikki Tourists 2-0 Nasarawa