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TheCable looks at how teams fared across various venues on matchday 33 as proceedings get intense at both ends of the league.
Nassarawa United 1-0 MFM FC
Nasarawa United heckled the gap at the top of the log to three points following a slim yet vital victory over Mountain of Fire FC in Lafia. The winning goal came off the boots of Silas Nwankwo in the 18th minute.
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Rivers United 1-1 Akwa United
Rivers United halted the cantering brilliance of Akwa United in Port Harcourt. After Charles Atshimene put the away team ahead in the 53rd minute, the home team delivered a late salvo through Bamba Bakary in the 87th minute to peg the high-flying Kenedy Boboye-tutored side.
While the defending champions, Enyimba FC square off with FC IfeanyiUbah in the first ‘Oriental derby’ at the Aba Township stadium, Heartland will welcome resurgent Abia Warriors in the other derby of ‘oriental brothers’ at the Okigwe Township stadium.
For those who may not understand, ‘Oriental derbies’ are usually contested by NPFL clubs from the South-East region of the country.
Whenever these clubs meet, there is usually so much to talk about as the intense rivalry among them comes to the fore leaving in its trail the good, the bad and sometimes ugly side of the beautiful game.
It is against this background that Enyimba will be going into the match against the third from bottom ‘Nnewi millionaires’ with the aim of annexing the three points that would return them to the top of the NPFL table.
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Buoyed by Governor Nyesom Wike’s donation of a luxurious bus and pledge of N20m for them to beat their opponents, Rivers United confidently set off proceedings in Aba but their host wasted no time in seizing the initiative from them.
However, before both sides could settle into the contest, there was a heavy downpour that forced the match to a halt momentarily.
When play resumed, Imo Obot’s free kick caused problems in Rivers United box but they succeeded in getting the ball out before their danger man Godwin Aguda’s effort was cleared at the other end.