NPFL: Plateau United Humiliate Kano Pillars As Rangers Retain Top Spot

Plateau United recorded the biggest win of Matchday 8 in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), thrashing Kano Pillars 4-0 to climb to third place.

Meanwhile, Rangers International held on to the top spot after Chidiebere Nwobodo scored a late equaliser in their 2-2 draw against Barau FC in Kano.

Rangers now have 17 points from eight matches, one ahead of Rivers United, who maintained their unbeaten run with a goalless draw against Abia Warriors.

Plateau United moved to 14 points, while Sporting Lagos, Nasarawa United, Kun Khalifat FC and Warri Wolves also secured important victories.

Plateau United Run Riot Against Kano Pillars

Plateau United dominated Kano Pillars, scoring twice before adding two more goals in the second half to seal an emphatic victory.

Paul Samson gave the hosts the lead after just three minutes. Kano Pillars struggled to respond, and Ekundayo Ojo doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time.

Samuel Ayanrinde extended the lead in the 82nd minute before Nenrot Silas converted a penalty in the 90th minute to complete the 4-0 rout.

The victory lifted Plateau United to third place with 14 points, strengthening their position among the early contenders for the title.

Kano Pillars, however, suffered a setback that left them 10th with 11 points.

Rangers Escape Defeat In Kano

Rangers needed a late goal to avoid defeat against Barau FC and preserve their narrow lead at the summit.

Ifeanyi Okechukwu put the visitors ahead in the 38th minute, but Joseph Atule restored parity for Barau from the penalty spot in the 56th minute.

Aliyu Sugau converted another penalty 12 minutes later to put the hosts in front. Rangers refused to surrender, however, as Nwobodo struck in the 90th minute to secure a point.

The result took Rangers to 17 points, keeping them ahead of Rivers United in the standings.

Rivers maintained their unbeaten record after a 0-0 draw against Abia Warriors, taking their tally to 16 points.

Sporting Lagos Stage Comeback

Sporting Lagos fought back from an early setback to beat Bendel Insurance 2-1.

Kayode Oke stunned the hosts by scoring after just 18 seconds, giving Bendel Insurance an immediate advantage.

Sporting responded through Victor Samuel in the 14th minute before Gafar Olaniyan completed the turnaround eight minutes later.

The victory took Sporting Lagos to 12 points, drawing them level with Bendel Insurance.

Ikorodu City, Nasarawa United Secure Wins

Ikorodu City strengthened their position in the top half of the table with a 2-0 victory over Kwara United.

Kwara United finished the match with 10 men after Saheed Olaniyi received a second yellow card in the 86th minute.

Nasarawa United also claimed a 2-0 win over Doma United. Sunday Dapman opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Jofrank Istifanus converted a penalty in the 55th minute.

Kun Khalifat FC recorded the same scoreline against Shooting Stars, collecting three valuable points.

Warri Wolves Boost Survival Hopes

Warri Wolves boosted their survival campaign with a 3-1 victory over Inter Lagos.

The result gave Wolves a valuable lift in the standings, while Inter Lagos left the contest needing to recover from the defeat.

Elsewhere, Ranchers Bees and Niger Tornadoes settled for a goalless draw despite the hosts playing much of the closing stages with 10 men.

Habibu Yakubu received a straight red card for stopping a goal-bound move. However, Niger Tornadoes failed to exploit their numerical advantage, even with eight minutes of added time.

Enyimba Suffer Another Defeat

Enyimba’s difficult start to the campaign continued with a 4-2 loss to Katsina United.

The defeat left the former African champions with seven points from eight matches, deepening their struggles near the bottom of the table.

With Rangers holding a one-point advantage over Rivers United and Plateau United moving into third place, the title race remains open after eight rounds of matches.

NPFL Matchday 8 Results

Katsina United 4-2 Enyimba

Plateau United 4-0 Kano Pillars

Ikorodu City 2-0 Kwara United

Kun Khalifat FC 2-0 Shooting Stars

Sporting Lagos 2-1 Bendel Insurance

Nasarawa United 2-0 Doma United

Barau FC 2-2 Rangers International

Abia Warriors 0-0 Rivers United

Ranchers Bees 0-0 Niger Tornadoes

Warri Wolves 3-1 Inter Lagos

Credit: Premium Times