There was drama in Enugu on Sunday during the highly-anticipated Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match-day 35 game between Enugu Rangers and reigning champions Enyimba, as the game was abandoned deep into stoppage time as a result of fans invasion.
With the game still goalless in added time, centre referee John Ojeleye awarded the home side a penalty but the away fans were said to have invaded the pitch in protest, leaving the game abandoned.
The live game on StarTimes Beta Sports Channel 244 lived up to its pre-match hype as fans thronged the Cathedral for the potential title decider.
Just like the reverse fixture in Aba ended in a draw, both sides were unable to breach each other’s defences until the drama, leaving the title race as it were with Rangers still in the lead with 62 points while Enyimba followed with 60 points.
Pandemonium at the Cathedral:
The referee awards a late penalty to Rangers, prompting Enyimba players to stage a walkout. Enyimba fans invade the pitch and disrupt the match.
At the moment the scores remain 0-0.#NPFL24 pic.twitter.com/R1vWJRp8nj
— NPFL News 🇳🇬 (@NPFL_News) June 9, 2024
The result will be potentially damaging for either side, depending on the decision of the league board and how they fare in their last three rounds of matches.
Earlier, third-placed Remo Stars suffered another setback in the title race, no thanks to a 3-2 defeat in the hands of Lobi Stars in Lafia, leaving them three points behind leaders Enugu Rangers.
The relegation battles remain as pulsating as the title race with thrilling results in the dog-fights between the teams battling for survival.
In Yenagoa, Jonathan Alukwu scored a second-half brace for Sporting Lagos but Abdullahi Biffo’s side were pegged back for a 2-2 draw by Bayelsa United as Bassey John also scored twice for the hosts to leave both teams’ survival hanging in the balance.
Bayelsa are inside the relegation zone with 43 points while Sporting sits a place just above them with 43 points as well.
Thanks to goals from Lucky Nwafor and Yusuf Ibrahim, Sunshine Stars also swam out of the relegation water after a 2-0 win over Akwa United in Akure, a result which leaves the Promise Keepers two places above the dreaded zone but with 43 points as well.
A 10-man Heartland also beat Doma United 3-1 in Owerri, a result that wasn’t enough to see the Owerri side leave their 19th position but left Doma rooted in the relegation zone with 43 points.
