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NPFL Match-day Results: Enyimba Intensify Title Race, Akwa United Struggle In The Red Zone
- Enyimba closed the gap on league Rangers to two points after securing a 1-1 draw against Sunshine Stars.
- Kano Pillars captain Rabiu Ali scored twice in their 4-0 win over bottom club Gombe United.
- Sporting Lagos suffered a 2-0 defeat to Katsina United in Abdullahi Biffo’s first game in charge.
Eko Hot Blog reports that The race for the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League title and the battle against relegation intensified over the weekend as champions Enyimba narrowed the gap on leaders Enugu Rangers to two points with seven matches to go.
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The nine-time champions secured a 1-1 draw against Sunshine Stars in Akure on Sunday, bringing their point haul to 52 after 31 matches, with 12 points on the road this season, including three draws and three wins.
Meanwhile, Rangers failed to extend their lead on the log, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Rivers United in Port Harcourt.
Chidiebere Nnachi’s 71st-minute goal ensured Finidi George’s men left Akure with a point after Promise Awosanmi had put the hosts ahead immediately after the restart, leaving Sunshine just a place above the relegation zone.
Sunshine Stars vs Enyimba FC in NPFL match
Goals in each half by Alex Oyowah and Deputy Echeta also condemned Rangers to their ninth defeat of the season against Rivers United.
In Kano, the 43-year-old Kano Pillars captain, Rabiu Ali, continued to lead the charge in their top-flight return, scoring twice for his seventh and eighth goals of the season in their 4-0 win over bottom club Gombe United.
Mustapha Yuga netted the opener for Pillars within the first 10 minutes, with Ali adding the second and third before halftime, and Mustapha Umar completing the rout in the 79th minute.
Rivers United vs Enugu Rangers in NPFL Match-day
At the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina, Abdullahi Biffo kicked off his tenure as the head coach of Sporting Lagos on a sour note, suffering a 2-0 defeat to his former club, Katsina United.
Andrew Idoko opened the scoring for Katsina in the 36th minute, followed by Michael Ibe in the 65th minute, leaving the Lagos side in 13th place, just two points above the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, 2021 champions Akwa United continued to struggle in the red zone, suffering their 15th defeat of the season as Emmanuel Ogbole’s late goal condemned them to 18th place with only 29 points.
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Elsewhere, fifth-placed Remo Stars remain four points behind leaders Rangers after a 1-0 defeat against Plateau United.
Niger Tornadoes got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Doma United, while Lobi Stars and Bendel Insurance settled for a goalless draw in Lafia.
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