Shooting Stars Stun Rangers as Rivers United Go Top

Shooting Stars Pull the Trigger in Ibadan

Nobody outside Ibadan expected this. Enugu Rangers arrived at the Shooting Stars home ground as league leaders, looking to extend their advantage at the summit. They left with a 3-1 defeat and a title race that suddenly looks very different.

The first half was tight, both sides cancelling each other out. But four minutes after the restart, Sodiq Ibrahim reacted quickest inside the box to fire the hosts ahead on 49 minutes. It was the kind of opportunist finish that changes a game’s entire mood.

Rangers, to their credit, didn’t fold. Chidiebere Nwobodo pulled them level on 69 minutes, and for a brief spell, it looked like Fidelis Ilechukwu’s side would grind out a point the way champions often do. But Shooting Stars weren’t done.

Desmond Ojietefian headed the hosts back in front on 78 minutes, meeting a delivery and powering it home with conviction. And as Rangers threw men forward in search of a second equaliser, they were punished. Adams Mustapha finished clinically in the 88th minute to complete a 3-1 win that lifted Shooting Stars into fifth place.

It’s worth remembering that Shooting Stars had already beaten Rivers United 2-1 in Ibadan earlier this season. The Oluyole Warriors are not a side any title contender wants to face right now.

Finidi’s Men Hit Back Hard

In Port Harcourt, Rivers United responded to the pressure of the afternoon in the best way possible. A 4-2 win over Kun Khalifat at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium sent Finidi George’s side back to the top of the table, but it wasn’t without drama.

Aniekeme Okon opened the scoring on 17 minutes, finishing from close range. Kun Khalifat levelled quickly, and then Sunday Adehi gave the visitors the lead on 38 minutes. Rivers United hit back two minutes later through Iyowuna Douglas, and Handsome Surveyor grabbed the lead again right on the stroke of half-time. It was a breathless 45 minutes in Port Harcourt.

The second half was more controlled. Rivers settled their nerves, managed the game effectively, and Douglas sealed it with his second of the afternoon on 82 minutes. Final score: 4-2. Title race: back on.

After the match, a relieved but cautious Finidi George faced the media. “In the opening minutes of the game, we had a couple of chances that we didn’t take. You know when you have chances like this you have to score,” he told reporters. The former Super Eagles winger also made a candid admission: “In our team, our highest goal scorer is a defender, and we are at the position we are now. That’s how bad it was.”

It’s a striking confession from a coach who knows his side can’t afford to carry that kind of inefficiency deep into the run-in. Rivers United now lead the NPFL with 55 points, one ahead of Rangers with six matchdays remaining. For fans tracking this title race closely, the Bet9ja YOHAIG promotion code offers up to ₦100,000 in bonuses for bettors looking to stake on these high-stakes NPFL encounters.

Ikorodu City Keep Themselves in the Picture

If the day had a standout match for sheer entertainment, it was in Lagos. Ikorodu City beat Warri Wolves 4-3 in a contest that swung back and forth from the first whistle.

Abayomi Ayodeji opened the scoring in the 8th minute. Joseph Arumala doubled the advantage on 24 minutes before Chisom Ogbuu pulled one back for Wolves almost immediately. Ikorodu made it 3-1 before the break when Ayodeji’s run forced an own goal on 42 minutes.

The second half kept the same chaotic tempo. Igbunu Evwierhurhoma converted a penalty on 53 minutes to make it 3-2, but Tosin Oyedokun struck within a minute to extend the lead to 4-2. Evwierhurhoma grabbed his second deep in added time, but Ikorodu held on for a 4-3 win.

The victory keeps Ikorodu City on 52 points, firmly in contention with six games left. They’ve refused to go away all season. Don’t count them out yet.

Remo Stars Survive El-Kanemi Test

In Maiduguri, defending champions Remo Stars secured a hard-earned 1-1 draw against El-Kanemi Warriors. Adewale Yusuf gave the hosts an early lead on 7 minutes, but Victor Mbaoma levelled for the Stars on 36 minutes. Neither side could find a winner in the second half.

For Remo Stars, it’s a point that matters more for table management than title ambitions. The defending champions have had a difficult campaign and need results to push clear of trouble.

Matchday 32: Full Results

What This All Means With Six Games Left

The NPFL title race has moved into its most critical phase. Rivers United lead on 55 points. Enugu Rangers sit second on 54. Ikorodu City are third on 52. Three points and three clubs. Six games left. It doesn’t get tighter than this.

Rangers have been here before. They won the title in 2023/24, and coach Fidelis Ilechukwu knows what it takes to go all the way. But Sunday was a reminder that no lead is safe in this league, and that mid-table clubs can inflict real damage on title chasers.

For Finidi George, Sunday’s win ends what has been a turbulent few weeks, including an earlier loss to Shooting Stars in Ibadan. His team’s resilience in coming from behind to win 4-2, after going 2-1 down, tells you something about this group. They’ve been challenged, and they’ve answered.

Nigerian football fans haven’t had a three-way title race this tight in years. With Matchday 33 just around the corner, every result from here counts double.