Despite the prevailing sponsorship tussle between Aminu Maigari lead board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Jarett Tenibe led Nigeria Football Association (NFA) faction as well as cash drought of Nigerian Premier League( NPL) following its inability to secure title sponsorship right, the domestic league is beginning to get interesting and tougher as it head to its climax with only four difference separating the top two teams.
Sunshine Stars of Akure and former league champion, Dolphins are currently joint leaders of NPL with the former topping the log on a better goal difference. The two teams like other clubs in the domestic league will return to the pitch today across the country for week 30 fixture in their league title.
Four straight wins from the last five matches has pushed the league leaders, Sunshine Stars at a very good position for the title, but the impressive run of form of Dolphins has refused to give them a breathing space as they continue their chasing pack on the Leader. Dolphins on Wednesday beat Kaduna United in their rescheduled match 1-0 to equal Sunshine Stars’ 57 points at the summit of the table after the Akure outfits were humiliated 3-0 by Gombe United in the their own rescheduled game at the Pantami Stadium in Gombe.
The win for Dolphins means they go on same 57 points with Sunshine Stars but the latter still have edge over them on a healthy goals difference. Dolphins still have an outstanding game to play and a win would see them overtake Sunshine Stars by three points, if the two remain on the same points at the time.
In week 30 fixture bile for today, Dolphins lock horns with struggling Heartland international of Owerri and Sunshine Stars travel to Ilorin to take on Kwara United at Ilorin Township stadium.
Heartland, 2009 CAF Champins League finalist continue their struggling in the Nigeria Premier League this season with six goals thriller against relegation threat JUTH of Jos in their Week 28 rescheduled game at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri on Wednesday. Heartland defeated the bottom side club on the log 4-2 in a dramatic show.
The game looked all over inside 20 minutes of the first half when the home side raced into a three-goal lead. But the Jos based club fought back strong and it took the resistance Heartland backline in person of Efugh, Okonkwo, Emmanuel Olowo and Ghanaian Joseph Jackson to ensure JUTH return to Jos with nothing. The victory has moved Heartland to 13th spot with 37 points from same number of games.
As important as the result of the match between league leader, Sunshine Stars and Kwara United as well as the tie between Dolphins and Heartland may be, the mother of all clash scheduled for this weekend will be in Enugu, where Rangers will host third place Kano Pillars. The encounter has all the trapping of the cup final and it is a fight to finish. A win for Pillars would ensure that they retain their third spot irrespective of the result of the match between fourth place Warri Wolves and league debutant, Bukola Babes. For Rangers, a defeat will not go down well with their home fans and will also keep them out of top eight positions and dash any hope of winning the league for the first time in 10 years. Pillars are presently occupying third spot with 50 points, four points ahead of 6th place Rangers.
Bukola Babes success story at the beginning of the season which saw them occupy third position ahead of established teams such as Rangers, Kano pillars, Enyimba and others has been overshadow by their recent poor results. The poor results recorded by the team following the departure of some players during the mid-season break have led the club relegation struggle.
The team miserable position may be further compounded this weekend when they visit in form Warri Wolves in Oleh. The Wolves will welcome back their star striker, Ekigho Ehiosun who helped Dream Team v to a 3-1 victory over Ghana last weekend in an All African Games qualifier. Bukola Babes have managed just two points from their last four matches at home and have failed to win a match since their celebrated return to Ilorin.
In other matches slated for this weekend, Niger Tornadoes host Shooting Stars of Ibadan in Minna, CAF Champions League campaigner, Enyimba will travel far to Gombe to take on Gombe United and Lobi Stars of Makurdi to a with bottom placed JUTH of Jos in Jos. It will be relegation war between Crown FC of Ogbomoso and Ocean Boys of Yenegoa in Ogbomoso. Kaduna United battle Zamfara United in a North-West cracker affair at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, while Sharks of Port Harcourt will be at home to welcome relegation troubled Plateau United in the last match of today.