Nigeria’s top flight football league is experiencing a positive development. At its fledgling stage this new season, the seemingly impossible situation of home teams winning or playing a draw – at all cost – is being discharged.
In 28 matches played since the 2022/23 season of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) opened a fortnight ago, eight away victories have been recorded in 28 matches, three of them on Matchday 3 this weekend. That means 28.57 percent of this season’s games have been won by away sides.
Last season, for instance, teams won 28 times on the road, which is 7.37 percent of the entire 380 matches.
On Matchday 3 this evening, three away wins signposted the results.
In a Group A fixture on Sunday, promoted Bendel Insurance show that they mean business by winning three matches on the bounce to become the first team to record a perfect start to the season. Remo Stars (Group A) and Niger Tornadoes (Group B) also have maximum points but each have a game in hand to be played midweek.
Insurance, who had defeated 2020/21 champions Akwa United 2-0 in Uyo on the opening day of the season and pipped another former champions Plateau United 2-1 in Benin City the week following, needed just a goal to overcome Kwara United at the adopted home of the Harmony Boys on Sunday. Imade Osehenkhoe’s 25th minute goal proved just enough for the Benin Arsenal to triumph at Adamasingba Stadium, Ibadan.
Insurance lead Group A with nine points followed by Remo Stars, who have six from two matches.
Also in Group A on Sunday, Lafia-based Nasarawa United, playing the home fixture in nearby Jos, walloped Akwa United 3-0 with a brace from Ndifreke Udo Effiong (47th and 74th minutes) and an earlier one by James Ajako (43rd minute).
It marked the first time the Promise Keepers will win in three matches having played goalless away to Enyimba and lost 0-2 to Insurance.
Akwa United are now lifted from ninth to No 3 on the table.
In Group B, Lobi Stars went to Umuahia and handed Abia Warriors their first defeat of the season. Kumaga Suur settled the matter in the 56th minute; the only goal of the match.
The result moved Lobi Stars three steps up to No 3, after earlier beating Rangers 1-0, but losing on Matchday 1 1-2 to defending champions Rivers United.
All results:
Group A: Nasarawa United 0-3 Akwa United, Plateau United 2-1 Enyimba, Kwara United 0-1 Bendel Insurance, El-Kanemi Warriors 0-0 Gombe United, Remo Stars v Shooting Stars (Wednesday)
Group B: Rangers 1-1 Sunshine Stars, Abia Warriors 0-1 Lobi Stars, Bayelsa United 2-1 Wikki Tourists, Doma United 1-0 Dakkada, Rivers United v Niger Tornadoes (Tuesday)
