The destination of this season’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) trophy is already known, with outgoing champions Remo Stars, who are struggling against relegation, set to hand over the trophy to a team from Enugu or Port Harcourt. While the Ikenne-Remo side experienced a shocking setback in just one season, either table toppers Rangers or their hot chasers Rivers United will take home the trophy on Sunday, 24 May, as the curtains are drawn on the season’s contests.
Winners in the 2023/2024 season, Rangers have a point advantage over last season’s runners-up, Rivers United and will travel to Lagos to face Ikorodu City, who are in serious contention for a continental ticket. Victory is all the Flying Antelopes, managed by Fidelis Ilechukwu, required to claim the title. But that is what their Lagos hosts will strive to deny them as they desire to seal their second season in the NPFL with a continental ticket.
For Rivers United, their fate lies elsewhere, but they must first deliver at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt when Katsina United come to town on 24 May for their last game of the season. A draw is not good enough for the Pride of Rivers, who received a boost last Sunday by beating relegated Wikki Tourist, coming from a 1-2 deficit to snatch maximum points via a 3-2 result. Triumph for Rivers United will earn them the trophy only if Rangers fail to beat Ikorodu City.
A few days ago, CAF put to rest speculations over a possible expansion of the continent’s premier club competition. What is, therefore, certain for both Rangers and Rivers United is that they will represent Nigeria in next season’s CAF Champions League, which the country’s top two teams in the NPFL will be eligible to enter.
In the CAF Confederation Cup for the 2026/27 season, the third-placed side and the winners of the 2026 President’s Federation Cup, which is about to commence the national preliminary stage, will be registered. As with the elite CAF Champions League, two teams are also in contention here: Shooting Stars and Ikorodu City.
The new generation of supporters of the Oluyole Warriors have never seen their once illustrious team feature on the continent. Winners of the African Cup of Winners’ Cup in 1976 and the CAF Cup in 1992 (both competitions have now been merged to have CAF Confederation Cup), Shooting Stars are third on the log of this season’s NPFL. They will be away to Niger Tornadoes at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna and must win, particularly as Ikorodu City, playing at home, are odds-on-favourite to beat title-chasing Rangers. A draw for Shooting Stars and a victory for Ikorodu City (who have a goal-difference advantage over the Ibadan team) will extinguish the former’s continental dream.
Nasarawa United in fifth position, and four others behind them — Bendel Insurance, Abia Warriors, Katsina United and Barau FC — will be back in the NPFL next season, while Bayelsa United (19th) and bottom-placed Wikki Tourist are on their way down to the second-tier Nigeria National League.
In the league of threatened teams are defending champions Remo Stars, former CAF Champions League winners Enyimba and four-time NPFL winners Kano Pillars. Other teams that may be relegated with Bayelsa United and Wikki Tourist are Kwara United, Plateau United, El-Kanemi Warriors, Kun-Khalifat, Warri Wolves and Niger Tornadoes. Two of these sides will go down.
It’ll be a survival battle between Enyimba and El-Kanemi Warriors at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba, and Plateau United and Kano Pillars at the New Jos Stadium on the last Matchday of the season.
Elsewhere, the outgoing champions must win in Benin City against Bendel Insurance to have a chance of staying up, subject to results from other centres.
New-on-the-block Kun-Khalifat, Warri Wolves and Niger Tornadoes will be playing in front of their fans, and victory in their respective games may just work a miracle for them.
