Wednesday’s round of Match Day 7 fixtures in the 2018/2019 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) saw a continuation of the stranglehold MFM FC and Abia Warriors have over Remo Stars and Heartland FC respectively.

Remo welcomed Lagos club MFM to temporary home Oshogbo looking for a first ever NPFL victory against the Olukoya Boys. In two previous meetings between both south-western sides, MFM had triumphed one nil on each occasion and buoyed by the tide of this fixture’s history, Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu had pencilled this fixture as one where his team – notoriously bad travellers – could claim at least a point.

And so it proved when in keeping with what is fast becoming a customary outcome in this fixture, season’s revelation Kabir Adeniji scored a third goal in four appearances to maintain MFM’s place at the top of Group A. Wednesday’s away victory was MFM’s first since a one nil defeat of FC Ifeanyiubah in June of 2018 and just their third since yet another one nil over Remo in 2017. As for Remo Stars, they show yet again an inability to banish the ghosts of yet another bogey team from the southwest after falling last time out to Sunshine Stars – another team they have never beaten in NPFL history.

Over at the Krisdera Hotel Stadium in Omoku, Go Round FC were 2 -1 winners over visiting Kano Pillars. Both teams had been involved in three goal thrillers in Match Day 6 but while Kano Pillars felt they had turned the corner with a three nil trouncing of Nasarawa United in Kano, Go Round were at the receiving end of a three nil whitewash away to Akwa United but it was the home team that showed plenty of mettle to nick the tie.

Otega Akaba put Go Round ahead in the 33rd minute when he turned home Ebuka Akobundu’s bullet throw, but Pillars pegged them back on the stroke of halftime through Rabiu Ali’s delightful free kick which found the net via a deflection in the wall. Adeseun Adelani however scored what proved to be the winner for Go Round through a sweetly struck acrobatic effort in the 51st minute.

Kabiru Sanusi’s 90th minute effort sealed a come from behind win for Kada City against El Kanemi Warriors in Kaduna. El Kanemi had taken the lead through Abubakar Umar who scored for the second consecutive game and were ahead at half time. Kada were awarded a penalty in the second half and although Itodo Akor saved Kabiru Sanusi’s effort, Anayo Iwuala who had been fouled for the penalty was quickest to react slamming in the rebound to draw the home team level. With the game looking likely to end in a draw, Kabiru Sanusi made amends for his missed spot kick when he struck his side’s winner at the death.

Abia Warriors fresh from halting FC Ifeanyiubah’s unbeaten start to the season in Match Day 6 dispatched fellow easterners Heartland FC in a keenly contested Oriental Derby at the Umuahia Township Stadium. Samson Obi’s 25th minute effort was all Abia Warriors required for a fifth victory in eight meetings against Heartland who have now never beaten Abia Warriors in the NPFL.

Rivers United dropped points at home for the first time this season when they were held to a goalless draw by Kwara United while FC Ifeanyiubah shrugged off their defeat at home to Abia Warriors in Match Day 6 to record a sixth clean sheet in a two nil defeat of Gombe United in Nnewi. Ikenna Cooper and Nonso Nzediegwu with the goals to keep the Nnewi based side at the top of Group B.

Match Day 7 action continues today with Niger Tornadoes hosting Sunshine Stars, Katsina United are up against Bendel Insurance in Ilorin while Wikki Tourists welcome Enyimba to Gombe in Group A. Group B fixtures will see Nasarawa United in a battle of wills against Plateau United who ironically have been playing their home fixtures in Lafia, home ground of their opponents while Yobe Desert Stars are at home to Akwa United in the group’s other fixture.

2018/2019 NPFL MATCH-DAY 7 RESULTS (WEDNESDAY)

GROUP A
REMO STARS 1-0 MFM
(Kabir Adeniji, 13’)
RIVERS UNITED 0-0 KWARA UNITED

GROUP B
FC IFEANYIUBAH 2-0 GOMBE UNITED
(Ifeanyi Cooper 73’; Nonso Nzediegwu 90+4)
ABIA WARRIORS 1-0 HEARTLAND FC
(Samson Obi, 25’)
KADA CITY 2-1 EL KANEMI WARRIORS
(Anayo Iwuala, 69’; Kabiru Sanusi, 90’ – Abdullahi Usman 13’)
GO ROUND FC 2-1 KANO PILLARS
(Akaba Otega, 33’; Adeseun Adelani, 51’ – Rabiu Ali 45+5)