NPFL Title Contenders, Enyimba, Rivers Utd, Drop Points at Home

Femi Solaja

Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title contenders Enyimba  FC of Aba and Rivers United FC have failed to close the gap between them and leaders Remo Stars as both teams battled to score draws at home yesterday, leaving the Ikenne side with a massive seven-point gap at the summit.

Interestingly, the duo of Niger Tornadoes and Katsina United won their respective home matches yesterday but the results left them in the middle of the pack after Match-day 21 of the NPFL.

In Aba, former champions, Enyimba had to come from behind to get a 1-1 score-line against Emmanuel Amuneke tutored Heartland FC.

The Naze Warriors appeared set to get a pound of flesh from the Aba side who inflicted a 0-2 home defeat on the opening day of the league.

It was Daniel Ekpo who put the visitors in front in the 19th minute and looked set to double the lead before halftime but were unlucky not to score again.

However, in the second stanza, Joseph Atule restored parity with an equaliser in the 56th minute and both sides aimed for the winning goal without success till the end of the match.

The result thus pushed the Aba Elephant further down on the log at ninth position with 28 points but with a game in hand. Heartland dropped to 13th position on 26 points.

In Port Harcourt, Rivers United failed to win their third consecutive match after a 2-2 draw against Bendel Insurance of Benin City.

The visitors were in front as early as the 6th minute with a close-range shot from Meyiwa Oritseweyinmi but John Ubong Friday puts smile in the faces of the home fans with the equaliser in the 35th minute of the half.

On resumption, Uche Collins puts Insurance side in front again but Handsome Surveyor even the score-line again two minutes later.

But in Katsina, the home side, Katsina United defeated Plateau United 2-1. With the match looking like another draw, the home side won via a penalty kick in the added time.

While in Minna, Niger Tornadoes defeated Kwara United 2-1. Ifeanyi Okechukwu puts the home side in the lead in the first minute and the game dragged till the end when Abdulrasheed doubled the lead in the 86th minute before Junior Aimufua scored a consolatory goal in the 90th minute.

Meanwhile, Remo Stars still dictate the pace at the top with 42 points followed by Shooting Stars of Ibadan  on  36 points but with a game in hand while Rivers United followed at 35 points.

RESULTS

NPFL

Enyimba 1-1 Heartland

Katsina Utd 2-1 Plateau Utd

Tornadoes 2-1 Kwara Utd

Rivers Utd 2-2 Insurance

Europa League

Ajax  – Galatasaray 

Anderlecht – Hoffenheim 

AS Roma – Frankfurt

Bilbao – Plzen

Braga – Lazio

Dy’Kyiv – RFS

FCSB – Man Utd

Ferencvaros – Alkmaar 

Lyon – Ludogorets 

Maccabi Tel – FC Porto

Midtjylland – Fenerbahce

Nice – Bodo/Glimt

Olympiacos – Qarabag

Rangers – Royale Union

Sociedad – PAOK

Sl’Prague – Malmo 

Tottenham – Elfsborg 

Twente – Besiktas

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