Remo Stars tightened their grip on the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title race with a narrow 1-0 victory over Plateau United in Ikenne on Sunday.
New signing Samson Olasupo, formerly of Sunshine Stars, marked his return to the NPFL in style, netting the winning goal in the 74th minute to secure all three points for Daniel Ogunmodede’s side.
Despite their dominance, Remo Stars had to work hard for the win. Captain Junior Nduka missed a first-half penalty, while Sikiru Alimi had a headed goal disallowed for offside in the second half. The team was also reduced to 10 men late in the game after Nduka received a second yellow card.
With this victory, Remo Stars now sit comfortably at the top of the table with 54 points from 27 games, holding a 12-point lead over second-placed Rivers United, who are set to face 3SC in Ibadan on Monday.
In Lagos, Ikorodu City continued their impressive push to secure NPFL survival, defeating Heartland 2-0 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena. Goals from Leonard Ngenge (first half) and Ayomide Cole (second half) sealed the victory for Nurudeen Aweroro’s side.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle was in Kano to watch Kano Pillars come from behind to beat Rangers International 2-1. Bashir Usman had given the visitors the lead in the 33rd minute, but Rabiu Ali and Jerry Alex responded for the hosts to complete the turnaround.
Under interim coach Ahmed Garba, Pillars have now won four of their last five matches and have climbed to fourth place on the NPFL table with 41 points.
Elsewhere, Joseph Atule was the hero for Enyimba, scoring the only goal in their 1-0 away win over Niger Tornadoes in Lafia—a rare road victory for the reigning NPFL champions.
With the title race heating up and teams battling for survival, the NPFL season promises more thrilling encounters in the coming weeks.
