Sports

NPFL Title Race Goes To Final Day As League Prepares Two Trophies

Published May 22, 2026 at 9:14 AM

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) will deploy two trophies on the final day of the 2025/26 season as the title battle between Enugu Rangers and Rivers United heads for a tense finish on Sunday.

League leaders Rangers, chasing a ninth NPFL crown, travel to Lagos to face Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, while Rivers United host Katsina United in Port Harcourt.

It is the first time in more than a decade that the NPFL title will be decided on the final day under the regular league format.

The only recent exception came during the 2023 Super Six playoffs in Lagos, when Enyimba secured their ninth league title.

NPFL Chief Operating Officer Davidson Owumi said the league body had made elaborate arrangements for either outcome, including placing two original trophies in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

“We don’t have a replica; we have two trophies. One trophy goes to Lagos and the other goes to Port Harcourt,” Owumi said during a radio interview as quoted by the Punch.

“We already have a podium set up in Lagos, while the one in Port Harcourt is being arranged. Everything that is in Lagos will be replicated in Port Harcourt. Whichever centre the title is decided, we are fully prepared.”

In many European leagues, trophies are often flown between venues on the final day when several clubs remain in contention. NPFL organisers, however, have chosen a different approach to avoid any last-minute complications.

Naija News reports that Enugu Rangers are heading into the final matchday with a narrow one-point advantage.