The Nigeria Premier League (NPL) championship playoff enters the business end at the Mobolaji Johnson Area (former Onikan Stadium), on the Lagos Island as Matchday 3 give the teams the opportunity to move nearer the continental competition qualification zone or drop off from the race. The top top teams at the end of Matchday 5 will be registered for the 2023/24 CAF Champions League, apart from the winners becoming the NPL champions; while No. 3 represent the country in the CAF Confederation along with the Federation Cup winners.
Enyimba and Rivers United are the front runners having picked four points from a possible six. Two other teams – Remo Stars and Bendel Insurance – have two points each, while Sunshine Stars and Lobi Stars are on a point apiece.
Insurance and Enyimba open the games today at 2 pm. Both sides were in the same Group A in the regular season with the Benin Arsenal winning the section. Insurance hosted and won the first leg 1-0 on Matchday 9 on 19th February. It was the last match of the first half of the season. Enyimba hosted the reverse fixture a month later and were forced to 1-1 by the visitors.
Insurance could not beat both Lobi Stars (0-0) and Sunshine Stars (1-1) in the first two matches of the Super 6.
For Enyimba, Day 1 of the NPL championship playoff ended 2-2 against Remo Stars, but they won their next – and last – fixture against Lobi Stars by a lone goal.
Next at MJA is the Remo Stars versus Sunshine Stars. Two draws in as many matches is not enough for the Sky Blue Stars from Ikenne-Remo if they desire to play continental football next season. They therefore must overcome the Akure Gunners to break into the top 3. Their previous matches ended 2-2 each – against Enyimba and Rivers United.
Sunshine Stars will be out of contention for the continental tickets unless they turn things around and record their first maximum points.
In the last match of the day, Lobi Stars – like Sunshine Stars – are also in danger of ending up as an ‘also-ran’. Will they be able to overcome Rivers United? Both teams were in Group B and won their respective home fixtures – Rivers United 2-1, and Lobi Stars 3-2.
