Sports

Matchday 6 preview: High stake games amid continental involvement

Published

1 year ago

September 25, 2025

By George Akpayen

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) returns this weekend and into next midweek with Matchday 6 which will throw up mouthwatering encounters involving the big guns, the undefeated sides, the new boys and the strugglers.

Enyimba have already began the season on a brilliant note – five matches played and undefeated so far (W3 D2). The other unbeaten side in the top division at the moment are Rivers United who were involved in the CAF Champions League last weekend and have played four league matches – winning two of those.

The champions, Remo Stars, enjoyed a commanding performance in the Champions League against Comoros Island’s US Zilimadjou last Sunday cruising to a 4-0 win at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta in what looks an assured passage into the next round that would have South African side, Mamelodi Sundowns waiting for them. But before then, the NPFL titleholders will be back in action for a tricky trip to Abia Warriors on Independence Day.

THE HIGH STAKE MATCHES

Enyimba and champions Remo Stars are up for games with potential for them to drop all points considering the quality of their opponents in Ikorodu City and Abia Warriors respectively. There is also Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) who just notched up their first win of the campaign after five matches and will have to face Warri Wolves.

The champions have had it so good in their head-to-head meetings with Warriors since their promotion to the topflight in 2017. The Sky Blue Stars have only suffered just one defeat in eight NPFL meetings with Abia Warriors (W5 D2 L1). Last season, on their way to winning their first title, Daniel Ogunmodede’s men did the double over Warriors including winning 2-0 in this same corresponding fixture with Jide Fatokun and Ismaila Sodiq scoring the goals.

Off-the-pitch, 3SC have carried quite some reforms but the results are not yet reflecting on the board though they got a respite with a 2-1 win over new boys Kun Khalifat FC to get their first win of the season. Warri Wolves would offer a different kind of opposition on Sunday at the Southern Delta University Stadium in Ozoro. The Seasiders have a very good home record in the NPFL against Shooting Stars in their last eight meetings (W7 D1). It does not look good for 3SC as they have struggled so far for form in their opening five matches (W1 D2 L2).

UNBEATEN PEOPLE’S ELEPHANT UP FOR CITY TASK

Table-toppers Enyimba also have a game on their hands this weekend when they play at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos against Ikorodu City. The People’s Elephant are enjoying an unbeaten start to the campaign in their first five matches of the season for the first time since the 2009/10 season when they went undefeated in their first nine matches (W4 D5).

That brilliant run will be put test at the Arena where City have bullied even the biggest hitters in the top division since their debut participation last season. The Oga Boys have played 21 matches at home in the NPFL since their promotion and have suffered just two defeats on their turf to Rangers (0-1) and Nasarawa United (1-2). Last season, they scored 48 goals in their 19 home matches, averaging 2.5 goals per game. Though they are yet to replicate that scoring form at home this term yet but Enyimba are sure up against a tough side.

Last season, Enyimba were seconds away from becoming the third side to hand City a defeat at home before substitute Ayomide Cole popped up with a late goal to level the score at 2-2 for a share of the points. City have quite an impressive run at home since their 2-1 defeat to Nasarawa United last season and have not lost since then in 19 home matches (W16 D3).

STRUGGLING NEWCOMERS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD

In the midst of purple patches for some of the big boys like leaders Enyimba and co, at the other end of the table are the newcomers, Barau FC and Kun Khalifat FC. Both clubs square up this Sunday with the latter playing hosts at their adopted home ground, the Enyimba Stadium in Aba. It is an early season relegation six-pointer for the two sides.

Lada Bosso’s Barau FC go into this fixture as the only side without a win in the division after five matchweeks (D2 L2). Something the former Nigeria U20 men’s head coach will hope changes after this match. It is the first time both teams are meeting in the NPFL and their rankings in the form guide table shows they are in the bottom-three and it will be a game of who blinks first.

THE OTHER FIXTURES

Matchday 6 will begin this Saturday with two fixtures in Jos and Benin City where Plateau United play hosts to El-Kanemi Warriors and Bendel Insurance face Bayelsa United respectively. Eight-time winners Rangers who have started the campaign poorly will make the trip to the home of Wikki Tourists where they have avoided defeats 10 times in 19 meetings including winning once (W1 D9 L9).

There will be a top-four meeting between second-placed Nasarawa United and Katsina United in fourth position at the Lafia City Stadium. The Solid Miners have won their last two matches against Wikki Tourists and Bayelsa United and will aim to add Katsina United to that list to replicate three straights for the first time since the tail end of last season when they defeated Heartland, Lobi Stars and Enyimba. Katsina United have lost in all of their last six matches at Nasarawa United.

Three matches involving clubs in CAF competitions have been rescheduled. Abia Warriors and champions Remo Stars go head-to-head while Rivers United will be keen to keep their unbeaten start to the season going when they play hosts to Niger Tornadoes. Both matches will hold on October 1.

The match between four-time winners Kano Pillars and Cup holders, Kwara United have been moved to October 8 owing to the latter’s involvement in CAF Confederation Cup game against Asante Kotoko this weekend.

MATCHDAY 6 FIXTURES

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Plateau United v El-Kanemi Warriors

Bendel Insurance v Bayelsa United

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Wikki Tourists v Rangers

Warri Wolves v 3SC

Kun Khalifat FC v Barau FC

Ikorodu City v Enyimba (5:30pm)

Nasarawa United v Katsina United

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Abia Warriors v Remo Stars

Rivers United v Niger Tornadoes

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Kano Pillars v Kwara United

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

19 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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