Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Oluwaferanmi Omoniyi
Published on 2024-04-16 21:06:20
The competition for the NPFL title escalated on Matchday 30, with exciting action taking place across nine different venues in Nigeria. The matches resulted in seven home wins, one draw, and one away defeat, with a total of 25 goals being scored. Enyimba, Sporting Lagos, and Heartland emerged victorious in their respective derby matches.
In Aba, Enyimba secured a crucial 1-0 win over local rivals Heartland, pushing Heartland further towards relegation. This victory propelled Enyimba to second place in the standings with 51 points. Before the game, a minute of silence was observed in honor of the late Bright Esieme, a former player for both Enyimba and Enugu Rangers.
The match witnessed Enyimba dominating the first 10 minutes against a shaky Heartland side. However, Heartland posed a threat in the 13th minute with a cross from Chijioke Opara, although Christian Weli’s header was saved by the Enyimba goalkeeper, Leke Ojo. Ojo continued to showcase his skills by intercepting another dangerous cross from Ugochukwu Leonard.
Despite Mbaoma’s off-target attempt to score against his former club, Heartland, the resistance of the visiting team crumbled in the 35th minute when Ekene Awazie scored for Enyimba. Leonard’s effort to equalize in the 50th minute was also thwarted by Ojo.
In the Oriental Derby, Enugu Rangers emerged victorious over Abia Warriors, securing their first win against their rivals in four meetings. Isaac Saviour opened the scoring for Rangers within the first seven minutes, while Ojonugwa Adejoh doubled their lead just before halftime. Despite Abia Warriors pulling one back through Kazeem Ogunleye, Rangers held on for a 2-1 victory.
Sporting Lagos claimed a narrow 1-0 win over Sunshine Stars, edging the latter closer to the relegation zone. Gbenga Ogunbote masterminded a 2-0 victory over his former club, Lobi Stars, propelling his current team to fourth place in the league table. Otakho Aghabowa and Douglas Archiv scored the goals for Ogunbote’s team.
Overall, Matchday 30 of the NPFL provided fans with thrilling matches and unexpected results, adding to the excitement of the race for the league title. With teams jostling for position and points, the competition is heating up as the season progresses. The next set of matches promises to be equally compelling as teams battle it out for supremacy in Nigerian football.
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