Matchday 13 of the 2024/25 NPFL season delivered high-stakes drama as Rivers United returned to winning ways, and Katsina United extended their home against Remo Stars.
Rivers United have snapped a four-match winless streak to reclaim the top position in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) with a 1-0 victory over Abia Warriors at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt on Sunday, November 24.
The Finidi George-led side had enjoyed the brightest start to the 2024/25 season, going unbeaten in their first nine matches. However, a surprising 2-0 loss to Ikorodu City on Matchday 10 disrupted their momentum.
Up against an Abia Warriors team also on a three-match winless run, Rivers United leveraged Ndifreke Effiong’s well-taken spot-kick to secure all three points. The win moves them two points clear at the top of the table after Remo Stars were stunned in Katsina.
At the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Remo Stars looked sharper in the early exchanges against Katsina United. The Daniel Ogunmodede-led side came close to opening the scoring in the 26th minute when Ibrahim Abubakar’s lobbed effort narrowly missed the target.
However, Katsina United returned stronger from the break. Azeez Falolu broke the deadlock in the 50th minute with a brilliant free-kick before Boslam Dawi doubled the lead 12 minutes later to seal a 2-0 win for the hosts.
The victory extended Katsina’s perfect home record to five wins from five games against Remo and lifted them to 11th on the log, four points clear of relegation. Meanwhile, Remo Stars extended their winless run to three games—their longest since June 2023—and their goalless streak to three matches, a drought not seen since February 2022.
Elsewhere at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, Antony Okachi’s 16th-minute strike was enough for Shooting Stars to grab maximum against Bayelsa United in Matchday 13’s concluding fixture.
The matchday took off on Saturday where El-Kanemi Warriors edged past Akwa United with a narrow 1-0 victory, to move third place on the log.
Bendel Insurance recorded a commanding 3-1 performance over Kwara United at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin. The Oriental Derby between Heartland and Rangers International ended in a goalless stalemate, as did the clash between Niger Tornadoes and Ikorodu City at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna. Plateau United continued their dominant home form, dispatching Nasarawa United 2-0, while Lobi Stars and Kano Pillars battled to an entertaining 2-2 draw in Lafia.
The clash between Enyimba and Sunshine Stars has been postponed to a date yet to be announced, due to the People’s Elephants’ CAF Confederation Cup fixture against Egypt’s Al Masry on November 27.
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