The season is beginning to take shape in the Nigerian Professional Football League with two matchdays played over the week. There were 9 games on Sunday and another 9 on Wednesday. The biggest casualty of the double Matchday was the “disengagement” between Austin Eguavoen and Sunshine Stars of Akure.

After defeating Enyimba on MD21, the Owena Waves visited Ibadan but were lost 1-0 to Shooting Stars on a day that Beach Soccer star made his debut for the Oluyole Warriors. While Sunshine Stars cried of poor officiating, their next opponent licked the wounds of a 1-0 defeat to Enyimba in Aba and came to Akure determined to get at least a point. Plateau United buttressed their interest in winning the 2016/17 NPFL with a 2-1 win over Sunshine Stars in Akure. They are now 5 points clear at the top.

The winning goal was contested but it stood and the goal keeper got sent off for handling the assistant referee. Coach Austin Eguavoen had to part ways with reports from Ondo State blaming his resignation to poor officiating. The Owena Waves are currently 18th.

Another Southern “Stars” were held to a goalless draw at home. Shooting Stars failed to grab to grab 6 points from two consecutive home games as they were held 0-0 in Ibadan by Kano Pillars. The draw left them rooted at the 19th position, 3 points above Remo Stars who have spent the last 45 days at the base of the table. Salefu Oche and Ekene Awazie gave Remo Stars a 2-0 win over visiting Gombe United. They travelled to Umuahia and grabbed a point over Abia Warriors. Can they dare to believe?

Remo Stars (20th), Shooting Stars (19th) and Sunshine Stars (18th) are joined by Gombe United (17th) who needed an 80th minute goal from Suleiman Usman to salvage a point from visiting Enyimba FC. The Elephants are on a steady rise and have gotten 4 points from their last three away matches in the NPFL. Ikechukwu Ibenegbu scored the opening goal in that encounter.

The Eclipse of the stars didn’t hinder Anthony Okpotu in Makurdi as his hat-trick destroyed MFM FC in Lobi Stars’ 3-1 win over the Lagos based side. MFM FC scrapped a 1-0 win over FC IfeanyiUbah on MD22 but were quick to blame injuries for their woes in the middle belt. The Anambra Warriors were 2-0 winners of ABS FC on MD23 with goals from Kone (28th mins) and Seka (57th min). A 11th minute penalty from Abdullahi Wakili was enough for Niger Tornadoes to see off Rivers United in Lokoja on MD23.

Matchday 22 & 23 didn’t turn out well for the “Warriors” in the NPFL. El-Kanemi Warriors had their 41-match winning streak in Maiduguri jinx broken as they were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Rnagers international FC. Aghahowa Otakho scored an 86th minute goal to cancel out Daniel Etor’s 70th minute opener for the Flying Antelopes. Few days before that encounter, they lost 2-1 to Wikki Tourists in Bauchi. Abia Warriors on the other hand lost to Katsina United on MD22 before being held to a goalless draw by Remo Stars on MD23.

Matchday 24 is open us. There is the Abia Derby in Calabar and Shooting Stars visits Lagos on Sunday. Today, the Super Eagles will take on South Africa. Rohr will roar. Won’t you roar for the NPFL?