Nasarawa United strengthened their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title challenge with a 2–1 away win over Abia Warriors at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Sunday. The result sees the Solid Miners cut the gap on league leaders Rivers United to just three points at the top of the standings.
Abia Warriors looked set to take the lead when Emeka Obioma scored just before halftime in the 42nd minute. However, Nasarawa United responded after the interval with a quick equaliser from Habibu Alakija early in the second half, before JoFrank Istifanus completed the turnaround in the 55th minute to seal a crucial victory.
The win moves Nasarawa United to 38 points from 22 matches, keeping them firmly in the title race as the NPFL season intensifies. Rivers United stayed top on 41 points from 21 games, despite not being in action due to their postponed fixture against Kwara United a postponement linked to their involvement in continental duty.
Elsewhere across Matchday 22/23, Enugu Rangers defeated Warri Wolves 4–2, Niger Tornadoes beat Enyimba 2–0, and Shooting Stars edged Bendel Insurance 1–0, highlighting a tightly contested league with several teams in contention for continental spots.
EDITORIAL
Football’s greatest dramas are seldom scripted they’re fought out in moments of response and reaction. Nasarawa United’s come-from-behind victory over Abia Warriors was exactly that a testament to resilience and opportunism when the pressure of pursuit can erode composure or forge character.
Trailing at halftime against a Warriors side that had shown formidable form earlier in the season, the Solid Miners might have let that deficit dictate the day. Instead, within minutes of the restart, Habibu Alakija’s equaliser shifted not just the scoreboard but the psychological balance. In the full-tilt contests of the NPFL title race, such swings of momentum matter as much as the goals themselves.
Then, just as Abia seemed to regroup, JoFrank Istifanus delivered the decisive strike a clinical finish that reflected Nasarawa’s persistence and tactical adjustment. In a league where margins are thin and rivals abound, the capacity to overturn adversity is a hallmark of championship calibre.
Rivers United’s position remains marginally healthier atop the table, yet with Nasarawa’s triumph and other surprise results around the league, the title race is no longer a narrative of inevitability it’s evolved into a contest of belief and momentum. Across stadia from Umuahia to Ibadan and beyond, NPFL teams are proving that this season’s story will be written in grit as much as in goals.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Nasarawa United rallied from a goal down to beat Abia Warriors 2–1 in Umuahia, turning the match around after halftime.
- Habibu Alakija scored the equaliser early in the second half, tempering Warriors’ advantage before the turnaround.
- JoFrank Istifanus netted the winner in the 55th minute, securing all three points for Nasarawa United.
- Nasarawa United moved to 38 points from 22 matches, cutting the lead of Rivers United to three points at the summit.
- Rivers United’s fixture against Kwara United was postponed due to their involvement in CAF Champions League commitments, keeping them idle this weekend.
