Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-03-11 04:04:34
Remo Stars suffered a devastating defeat in their recent match against Sporting Lagos at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan. The 4-1 loss dealt a heavy blow to Remo Stars’ Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) title ambitions. Despite being a strong contender throughout the season, they were outplayed and outscored by Sporting Lagos on their home turf.
Sporting Lagos took an early lead with a goal from Junior Lokosa in the fifth minute, putting Remo Stars on the back foot from the start. Pascal Onyekachi Durugbor extended Sporting Lagos’ lead to 2-0 in the 27th minute, leaving Remo Stars struggling to catch up. However, an own goal from Aliu Olasunkanmi Salaudeen gave Remo Stars a glimmer of hope as they ended the first half trailing 2-1.
The second half saw Sporting Lagos continue their dominance, with Philip Odubia scoring in the 54th minute and adding another goal in the 60th minute to secure a convincing 4-1 victory. The defeat dropped Remo Stars down to fifth place in the NPFL standings, while Sporting Lagos climbed to 12th place with the impressive win.
Meanwhile, defending champions Enyimba of Aba moved up to second place on the table with 42 points after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Doma United. Chijioke Mbaoma netted the winning goal in the 89th minute to secure the important three points for his team.
At the top of the table, Lobi Stars maintained their position with 43 points despite a 1-1 draw with Abia Warriors in Umuahia. Abia Warriors took the lead in the 70th minute from a penalty, but Lobi Stars equalized in the 95th minute, salvaging a point from the match.
In other NPFL matches, Shooting Stars defeated Akwa United 3-0, Niger Tornadoes secured their first away win by beating Bayelsa United 1-0 in Yenagoa, and Enugu Rangers were held to a goalless draw by Kwara United. On Saturday, Sunshine Stars emerged victorious with a 3-1 win over Plateau United, while Rivers United and Kano Pillars played out a 1-1 draw in Port Harcourt.
Overall, the NPFL continues to showcase competitive football matches as teams jostle for position in the league standings. Remo Stars will need to regroup and bounce back from their defeat to stay in contention for the title, while the other teams will be looking to maintain their momentum and push for success in the remaining matches of the season.
