NPFL ROUNDUP: Goal fest as both Rivers United and Plateau United both lose
Emmanuel Alfred
NIgeria’s Rivers United and Plateau United, the top two teams on the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), table suffered defeat on the same day as MatchDay 24 produced plenty of goals.
The matches were played on Wednesday and Thursday with Wednesday accounting for seventeen goals in five matches and fifteen more being scored in the other five games on Thursday to take the goals scored to thirty-two (32), the highest scored on a single MatchDay this season.
Surprisingly though, the least scoring games in the MatchDay involved the two top scoring sides in the league with both teams conceding first half goals in their away ties and never recovering.
At the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, Sunshine Stars beat Rivers United 1-0 courtesy of a goal in the 5th minute by Ugochukwu Leonard Aputazie . The defeat ended Rivers United’s 12-match unbeaten run and marked only their second loss this season.
Rivers United still sustained their four point lead over Plateau United after the Jos-based side lost 0-1 to bottom side Heartland FC. Chukwudi Nwaodu scored the game’s only goal in the 16th minute to defeat the Fidelis Ilechukwu’s led side at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.
The win moved Heartland off the bottom for the first time in the second round of the season as MFM FC dropped to 20th after a shock 0-2 loss at home to Wikki Tourists in Lagos.
Abubakar Aliyu’s 2nd minute goal and Salomon Chigoziem’s effort three minutes to the end all but put paid to their survival hopes.
Kano Pillars were completely disappointing as they were thumped 4-0 by Enyimba in Aba. Striker Victor Mbaoma got a brace to take his tally to ten league goals this season before substitutes Emeka Obioma and Godwin Emmanuel added their names to the score sheet. To add insult to injury, Pillars, who have now dropped to 19th on the log had their goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo sent off in stoppage time.
The Nest of Champions produced the day’s highest scoring game as reigning champions Akwa United dismantled Nasarawa United 6-1. The Promise Keepers were 4-0 at half time courtesy of goals from Ubong Friday, Adam Yakubu and Wisdom Fernando with a brace. Babatunde Bello and Franklin Matib added two more in the second half, after King Osanga had pulled one back for the visitors.
Match Day 25 action hold on Sunday and Monday across ten centres.
