Defending champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Remo Stars, secured their second win in three games under new coach Usman Abdallah as they continue the fight against relegation in the 2025/26 season, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
The Sky Blue Stars beat Nasarawa United 2–1 in Ikenne on Sunday, thanks to a Michael Ibe 88th-minute winner.
Needing another win to boost their hopes of escaping relegation in the Nigerian top flight, the reigning champions battled to a goalless first half against their visitors before Stanley Joseph eventually gave them the breakthrough in the 62nd minute after reacting fastest to a header by Ahmed Akinyele.
It looked like the hosts were coasting home with a slim victory until the 83rd minute, when the visitors silenced the home crowd with an equaliser from Suleiman Dauda.
Five minutes later, Ibe bundled home the winner after a goalmouth scramble from a corner kick, giving Remo Stars their second win in the last five matches as well as their second in three matches under Abdallah.
Despite the win, the reigning champions are still 19th on the table with 33 points. They sit just above Kun Khalifat FC at the bottom of the table with 32 points, while Kwara United and Wikki Tourists are above them in the relegation zone with 33 and 35 points, respectively.
Similarly, nine-time champions Enyimba FC ended their five-game winless run thanks to a 2–0 victory over Plateau United in Aba.
After a goalless first half, Paul Odeh gave the Aba giants the lead in the 56th minute before Chinedu Ufere doubled the advantage eight minutes later.
Before this win, the last time Enyimba tasted victory in the league was a 1–0 win over Bayelsa United on 1 February.
Their recent triumph moves them just one point clear of the drop zone as they sit in 15th place on the table with 36 points after 30 matches.
In Ibadan, former champions Shooting Stars SC secured a hard-fought 3–2 win over Wikki Tourists, with Tijani Al-Ameen scoring an 88th-minute winner.
Sadiq Ibrahim had given them the lead in the 16th minute, but they were pegged back by Abba Musa in the 35th minute.
Lucky Emmanuel restored Shooting Stars’ lead before halftime, while John Taiwo again restored parity for the visitors, leaving the tie to be settled by Al-Ameen’s late goal.
The win moves Shooting Stars level on 47 points with third-placed Nasarawa United as the battle for continental spots intensifies.
Table-toppers Rivers United will face Ikorodu City FC in Lagos on Monday (today), with the gap between them (52 points) and Enugu Rangers (51 points) cut to one after the Flying Antelopes’ goalless draw at Kwara United on Sunday.
