NPFL: Akwa United, Rivers chase leaders Remo Stars

Five teams will be aiming at maintaining their unbeaten run in the season that has just entered its four week. They include top-of-the-table Remo Stars, and the two sides on their heels - Akwa United and Rivers United, both first and second last season.


Also without blemish are Lobi Stars (in sixth spot) and Nasarawa United (11th).

Remo Stars disappointed their fans on Wednesday when they couldn't breach the defence line of Nasarawa United in the barren match. Gbenga Ogunbote and his young team will now have to make amends in Uyo against Dakkada or risk relinquishing their early leadership of the league.

Dakkada lost by a questionable lone goal to Heartland in Okigwe four days ago, but had triumphed in their only home game of the season beating MFM 2-0.

Dakkada's "big brother" Akwa United managed to beat newly-promoted Gombe United on Wednesday by a lone goal in Uyo. And they travel to Lafia to challenge Nasarawa United with the prospect of one of the unbeaten sides tasting defeat.

Nasarawa United are fast becoming the "draw specialists" of the season having posted three draws in as many matches.

Rivers United have the same statistics as Akwa United as they host unimpressive Sunshine Stars. The Owena Waves have just one point in two matches and are second from the base.

United achieved the seeming impossible last time out by beating highly regarded Enyimba in Aba 1-0. Fans should expect the Pride of Rivers to ride on that fantastic outcome at their Yakubu Gowon Stadium home ground.

At the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, the temporary home of Kano Pillars, is what is regarded as the match of the week. It features former champions Enyimba and hosts Pillars.

For the People's Elephant, the result of their last match will hunt them as they avoid a back-to-back defeat in the fledgling season, while Pillars have to begin to wriggle their way out the relegation zone. It's unheard-of that the Masu Gida are at the foot of the table in the domestic league!

Sunday fixtures: Kano Pillars v Enyimba, Wikki Tourist v MFM, Rivers United v Sunshine Stars, Rangers v Niger Tornadoes, Nasarawa United v Akwa United, Plateau United v Heartland, Dakkada v Remo Stars (all 4 pm)

Monday fixtures: Abia United v Kwara United, Gombe United v Lobi Stars, Shooting Stars v Katsina United (4 pm)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nigeria records highest Covid cases, Europe imposes restrictions

Image
Nigeria's Covid-19 situation is now alarming! This is just as European leaders are coming up with drastic restriction measures to curtail the spread of the virus, particularly the Omicron variant, which  is fast accounting for the major cause of Covid-19 cases in the region. For the first time in February 2020 when Nigeria registered in the Covid map, the highest daily count was recorded on Wednesday.  The 4,035 new cases reported were almost double that of 2,078 on Tuesday, which was the highest until this new infamous record. Lagos State alone accounts for 3,393 cases with the other states being Rivers (260), Edo (62), Akwa Ibom (42), Kaduna (39), Ekiti and Oyo (38 each) while Delta and Kano have 31 each. Others are: Ogun (30), Abia (26), Bauchi (15), Ondo (14), Enugu (9), and Kwara (7). So far, 231,413 cases have been reported with 211,853 discharged and 2,991 fatalities.  The Federal Government and its relevant agencies have cautioned against travels and mass soc...
Read more

NCDC calls in security agencies to enforce Covid protocol, as Omicron ravages

Image
The  Nigeria Centre for Disease Control  (NCDC) has urged security agencies to collaborate with religious bodies in the enforcement of Covid-19 safety protocols during the festive season. The new concern follows several disturbing factors, particularly the realisation that Nigeria is now the third ranked African country in Omicron infections, after South Africa (1,296 cases) and Botswana (291). NCDC says Nigeria has recorded 45 Omicron cases as of 20th December. On Friday, NCDC announced 1,356 fresh Covid infections which moved the total figure to 234,709. On hundred and ninety-seven Covid patients recovered on Friday to bring Nigeria's total recoveries to 212,237, while two fatalities were reported to take the figure to 2,993. In all, there are 19,479 active Covid -19 cases in Nigeria. NCDC said the first Omicron case in Nigeria was detected in a sample on 9th November. The variant, which was first detected in South Africa and Botswana, has spread to other countries. In its f...
Read more

Rising from adversity: For Adeyinka Peter Akintunde, a year after

Image
Adeyinka Peter Akintunde (11th August 1990 - 2nd February 2021) By Muyiwa Akintunde It's a day I wish never existed: 2nd February 2021. A few minutes past 10 pm, the young medical doctor that followed me back to my car that Tuesday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja applied the tools on the body at the back seat and motioned to come along. He asked my wife to stay behind with the patient we had just brought in. Back to the doctor's corner.. "Who are you to him"?, he inquired. "He's my son", I mumbled a response. "I'm sorry, he is gone". I hardly display emotion. But for several minutes after those words of finality, I couldn't control the tears that issued from my eyes. Quickly, I realised I had to be strong. I had to be strong for my wife, who had dissolved in tears. I had to be strong for our other daughters (except the youngest, who was then on youth service in Delta State). They had found their way to the hospita...
Read more