With both Sunshine Stars and Akwa United in the relegation zone after match-day 36, the fight to escape relegation is getting more intense as the 2024–2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season draws to a close.
In a difficult NPFL encounter, Sunshine Stars lost to Shooting Stars by a slim margin of 1-0 in Ibadan.
The team led by coach Abubakar Bala fought hard, holding their opponents to a goalless draw until Ikouwem Utin scored a vital penalty in the 88th minute.
The Stars, who now have 41 points and are in 19th position on the NPFL table, had a difficult game.
They will play a crucial match on Sunday at the Akure Township stadium against the Niger Tornadoes, another relegation challenger.
This game will be crucial for both teams in their attempts to stay in the league because there are just four points separating them.
In the meantime, Niger Tornadoes and Abia Warriors were able to draw 1-1 in Minna.
Late in the game, Emmanuel Iwu equalized Mohammed Hussaini’s first goal in the 50th minute, giving the Warriors a point and preserving the Tornadoes’ hopes of playing in the continental tournament.
At the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Edo State, Akwa United suffered a defeat at the hands of Bendel Insurance, 1-0.
Meyiwa Oritseweyinmi’s goal in the 55th minute was the game-changing factor that gave Benin Arsenal a much-needed win and made it more difficult for Akwa United to avoid relegation, as they suffered their 17th loss of the year.
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In other games, the recently crowned champions Remo Stars unexpectedly lost to El Kanemi Warriors 2-0 in Maiduguri.
Samson Obi’s late goal in the first half gave Rivers United a close 1-0 victory over Rangers International of Enugu in an entertaining, well-publicized match.
It was a happy Wednesday night for Ikorodu City when they played Bayelsa United in Lagos. After a 3-2 victory for the Lagos-based team in the NPFL match, Ikorodu City moved up to fourth place in the league standings.
