NPFL postponed matches from the first three rounds – Review
After all matches from round 11 were postponed the other week, some teams played matches which were originally postponed in the first three rounds.
Group A
Remo Stars welcomed Wikki Tourists at the Gateway International Stadium in Sagawu. The home side scored first after Ade Runsewe found the net in the 21st minute. Fifteen minutes later the visitors equalized through Adeshina Gata. Going into the break the score was level.
The second half was tightly contested before the referee gave the hosts a late penalty. Victor Mbaoma successfully converted the spot kick to give Remo Stars the victory. The win takes them to fifth in Group A, while Wikki Tourists stay down in 10th place.
Katsina United travelled to Makurdi to play Lobi Stars at the Aper Aku Stadium. The visitors scored first through Martins Usule. His 12th-minute goal made sure the home side had an advantage going into the second half.
The defending champions responded and were rewarded in the 68th minute when the referee awarded them a penalty. Yaya Kone stepped up to the plate and scored to earn his team a point.
Only three days after this match Katsina United travelled to Port Harcourt to play Rivers United in a match which was postponed in round three. A single goal was enough to give the home side an important victory. After the referee awarded them a penalty, Ossy Martins was the one who converted it in the 10th minute.
Lobi Stars (Twitter/Lobi Stars FC)
Lobi Stars are now off the bottom and 11thin the standings, while Katsina United move up one place into seventh. With their win, Rivers United move up to 6th in the table level on points with Katsina.
Bendel played out a goalless draw with Enyimba at the Samuel Ogbemuda Stadium in Benin City. The home side moves to 9th place in the table level on points with Enugu Rangers above them and Wikki Tourists below them. Enyimba stay second in the table, now a full three points ahead of third-placed Sunshine Stars.
Group B
Kada City played hosts to Yobe Stars at the Kaduna Town Stadium. Eighteen minutes from kick-off, Sanusi Kabiru opened the scoring for the home team. Just before the end of the first half, the referee awarded the hosts a penalty kick, but they missed it. It stayed at 1:0 at halftime.
Soon after the restart, the visitors levelled the score through Phillip Auta. But it was Kada City who would take all three points from this match when Kabiru Sarki Adewale scored in the 88th minute.
Yobe Stars stay bottom of Group B but with a game in hand over Gombe United above them. Kada City are now up to seventh place a game behind Heartland in sixth.
Gombe United and Akwa United played out an entertaining 2:2 draw at the Pantami Stadium. Musa Usman scored the only goal in the first half for the home side.
The visitors turned the score on it’s back in the second half with goals from Emmanuel Charles in the 78th minute and Mfon Udoh in the 84th minute. Still, there was enough time for the hosts to save a point when Usman scored his second, this time from the penalty spot.
After this draw, Gombe United stay second from bottom while Akwa United move to third place, just two points off Group B leaders FC Ifeanyi Ubah.