Starting from today, in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), the battle for the final continental slot this season would be intense with three teams currently in the race to secure the third position on the table.
The Contenders
Remo Stars won the league with three games to spare and with Rivers United almost assured of second position on the table, the team to take the final continental slot is still not clear. However, Abia Warriors currently occupied the third position on the table with 56 points from 35 matches played with Ikorodu City and Enyimba three and four points below in fourth and fifth position respectively.
However, with the run-in, Ikorodu City are in a better position to extend their rollercoaster first season in the league as they are having two home games and one of the matches against the current team in third position, Abia Warriors.
On the other hand, Abia Warriors will be playing their next game away to Niger Tornadoes who almost delayed Remo Stars’ title celebration as they have to wait till the 84th minute to get one goal in the game last weekend. Immediately after the game, they will be at home against El-Kanemi Warriors before a season-defining game against Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos, a place the Baby of the League already turned into a fortress. Ikorodu City, currently with 53 points, will play at home against Bayelsa United before making a short trip to face the champions, Remo Stars.
They will conclude the season with a match against Abia Warriors. With a possible six points available from these three games, Ikorodu City are in a strong position to clinch the slot. Enyimba, the record winner of the NPFL with nine titles, has a slim chance of securing third place. They, like Ikorodu City, will play two of their remaining three matches at home, with a challenging away game against Nasarawa United—who are still fighting to avoid relegation—scheduled between their matches against Kwara United and Plateau United.
Experts verdict
Speaking with our correspondent, a Chief Lecturer at the Federal University of Education, Kontagora, Niger State and Nigeria league advocate, Andrew Randa, said the third position will be between Ikorodu City and Abia Warriors as he said the newly promoted side should get it due to their run-in to the end of the season.
“Ikorodu City have been very consistent. Even if they lose on the road, they are always very, very narrow losses and they’ve been good on the road,” he said. “Getting a draw in Maiduguri was probably one of the best things that happened to them this season. And so, they are going to push forward. I’m sure they’re going to win their remaining home games and they’ll push to get maybe a point on the road.
So, from the look of things, I think that Ikorodu City will pick the number three spot. If not, then Abia Warriors, because those are the two consistent teams at the moment. “For Abia Warriors, their loss against Katsina United was merely a minor setback. They bounced back impressively, defeating Shooting 3-1. I believe they will finish the league strong. The competition is mainly between Ikorodu City and Abia Warriors.
However, if I had to choose, I would pick Ikorodu City.” He added that the game between Remo Stars and Ikorodu City in Ikenne will not truly carry the toga of a derby again as Remo Stars, after winning the title might not be putting a lot of effort into the game as it would have been if they have not won the title. According to him, if the Oga Boys can get a result against the champion in Ikenne, then the final game against Abia Warriors will be a game to watch out for.
Another league enthusiast, Oye Bawala, said after winning the league, the Remo Stars’ players are all exhausted physically, psychologically and emotionally and they have nothing to fight for against Ikorodu City which might work to the advantage of the Southwest neighbour.
According to him, Ikorodu City have the best opportunity to secure the thirdplace position with the remaining games they are having. Bawala added: “People are talking about Enyimba in the race, but are you telling me Enyimba will get a maximum of nine points in their remaining games and Ikorodu City and Abia Warriors are going to lose their games?
“The truth must be told, the battle for that final slot is between Abia Warriors who currently occupied the position and Ikorodu City in fourth position but everything is looking the way of the Lagos side. “They just need to win their game against Bayelsa United and go to Ikenne and get something which I feel they could. “It is no gainsaying that after winning the league title, there is nothing much Remo Stars are fighting for again.
If you look at the players during their title-winning game against Niger Tornadoes, you will see how drained they were trying to give their all since the start of the season and you don’t expect them to give such a massive performance again. “People are talking about monitoring the game, we should not forget that Ikorodu City have been good on the road too and when both sides met in Lagos, it was a cracker and the Oga Boys has that continental qualification as a motivation while Remo has nothing else to motivate them apart from pride.”
The battle ahead
Currently, third on the table, Abia Warriors will start their battle for the remaining continental slot against a difficult opponent, Niger Tornadoes, in Minna, as they are already out of the President Federation Cup, the other avenue to make it to play on the continent. If they can win the game, then they are in a better position to get the final slot although they will have to get a win against Ikorodu City in their final game of the season in Lagos.
Immediately after the game against Tornadoes, they will be home against El-Kanemi Warriors, before the trip to Lagos for the big clash o against Ikorodu City in Lagos. After securing their place in the semifinal of the President Federation Cup, defeating Wikki Tourists in the quarterfinal, the Baby of the League will play Bayelsa United during the week, a game that is almost certain a win putting into consideration the way the home team already turned Mobolaji Johnson Arena into a fortress.
Then comes the trip to Ikenne and with at least a point in that game, then the last game at home against Abia Warriors will be like a final. For the outsider, Enyimba of Aba, they still have slight hope and a game against Kwara United on Wednesday in Aba will start the journey of their faint hope while a tricky trip to Lafia against Nasarawa United currently fighting to escape the drop will likely determine their season before wrapping the season with a home game against Plateau United in Aba.
