Rivers United have tightened their grip on the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) summit after edging past Rangers International 1-0 on Sunday, a result that opened a five-point cushion at the top following Nasarawa United’s heavy defeat in Kano.
A second-half header from centre-back Bolu Sholumade settled the NPFL Matchday 19 contest in Port Harcourt, striking in the 53rd minute to hand Finidi George’s side a deserved win and a commanding position going into the mid-season break of the league.
Rivers United’s advantage was further boosted at the Sani Abacha Stadium, where Nasarawa United were convincingly beaten 3-0 by a resurgent Kano Pillars. Playing their first home match after serving a five-game ban, the Sai Masu Gida made a statement in front of their supporters.
Mustapha Umar broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute before second-half goals from Chiedozie Okorie and Jibrin Mustapha wrapped up a comprehensive victory. The result lifted Kano Pillars off the bottom of the table and up to 18th on 19 points, while Kun Khalifat and Plateau United slipped deeper into trouble in 20th and 19th places respectively.
At the New Jos Stadium, Plateau United’s woes continued with a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Abia Warriors, their third loss at the venue this season. In Owerri, Kun Khalifat FC suffered a fifth home defeat, going down 1-0 to Katsina United.
In Aba, nine-time champions Enyimba ended the year on a positive note with a commanding 3-0 victory over Shooting Stars. Chinedu Ufere opened the scoring in the 16th minute, while late strikes from Edidiong Ezekiel and Chidera Michael put the result beyond doubt.
Elsewhere, Niger Tornadoes closed to within a point of the top three after a solid 2-0 home win against relegation-threatened Barau FC. Abdulaziz Dalhatu struck in the 35th minute before Rickson Mendos sealed the points in stoppage time. Barau, who had briefly climbed out of danger, slipped back into the bottom four on 21 points after 19 matches.
NPFL matchday 19 also produced notable results elsewhere, with Ikorodu City edging Remo Stars 1-0, El-Kanemi Warriors claiming a 1-0 away win at Bayelsa United, and Warri Wolves sharing a 2-2 draw with Wikki Tourists.
The league will resume for the second half of the season on January 7 with Matchday 20 fixtures. The mid-season transfer window opens on January 1 and runs until January 30, 2026.
NPFL Matchday 19 Results
Bendel Insurance 2-0 Kwara United
Kano Pillars 3-0 Nasarawa United
Rivers United 1-0 Rangers International
Plateau United 0-1 Abia Warriors
Niger Tornadoes 2-0 Barau FC
Warri Wolves 2-2 Wikki Tourists
Kun Khalifat FC 0-1 Katsina United
Enyimba 3-0 Shooting Stars
Bayelsa United 0-1 El-Kanemi Warriors
Ikorodu City 1-0 Remo Stars
