NPFL round-up: Enyimba, Shooting Stars shine, Gombe United relegated

Sunday’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) games saw three home wins, two draws, and an away win, with a total of 18 goals scored.

Enyimba and Shooting Stars secured the biggest victories with 4-1 and 4-0 wins over Rivers United and Abia Warriors, respectively.

In Aba, Enyimba staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Rivers United, keeping their title defence hopes alive. Andy Okpe’s 16th-minute goal put Rivers United ahead, but Chijioke Mbaoma equalised in the 41st minute. Mbaoma scored again in the 53rd minute, followed by Elijah Akanni’s brace in the 66th and 76th minutes.

In Ibadan, Shooting Stars also delivered a ruthless performance, hammering the visiting Abia Warriors 4-0 at the Lekan Salami Stadium. Despite a resilient first-half performance from Abia Warriors, Shooting Stars dominated the second half, scoring four goals to secure a convincing victory.

The highly anticipated match between title favourites Rangers and relegation-haunted Sporting Lagos at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan ended in a goalless draw. This was Rangers’ second consecutive draw in Lagos, having previously drawn 1-1 against MFM in 2022. Despite their efforts, Sporting Lagos failed to capitalise on their home advantage, with Rangers’ defence holding strong. Rangers maintain their leading position on the NPFL log with 61 points, while Sporting Lagos remains 15th with 42 points.

In another significant match, Gombe United’s 2-0 home loss to Sunshine Stars resulted in their relegation from the top flight. Gombe United, who have struggled this season with 17 losses and only eight wins, will be demoted to the Nigerian National League (NNL). Sunshine Stars’ victory was reminiscent of their previous away win in 2023 against Niger Tornadoes, with