NPFL: Insurance, 3SC, Rangers, and others win on matchday 30
Bendel Insurance have expressed their happiness with the 2-1 victory over Kano Pillars in their Nigeria Premier Football League matchday 30 fixture.
Sunday Anyanwu and Meyinwa Oritseweyinmi scored for Bendel Insurance in the encounter.
Ibrahim Mustapha Yuga’s goal reduced the deficit for Kano Pillars.
The Benin Arsenals stated that the win is a befitting birthday gift for head coach Monday Odigie.
“Victory is sweet!” The club stated on X handle.
“It is celebration time in Benin. The boys did it to compliment the birthday of coach Monday Odigie.”
Bendel Insurance are 10th on the NPFL table.
In Lagos, Sunshine Stars technical adviser, Kennedy Boboye has blamed missed chances for his team’s defeat against Sporting Lagos.
The Owena Waves suffered a 1-0 defeat against Sporting Lagos at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Tuesday.
Paschal Durugbor’s lone strike secured the maximum points for Paul Offor’s side.
Boboye, however, commended the players for the performance.
“It’s not a result we wanted, having played so well, but that’s football, we are not disturbed,” he told the club’s media.
“I’m picking the positives from the tie, times derbies are like that, our focus is our next match.”
Sunshine Stars will be in action next against Enyimba at the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure.
Elsewhere, Enugu Rangers retained the top spot on the log after edging Abia Warriors 3-2 in Tuesday’s match-day 30 Oriental derby at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.
The Flying Antelopes stormed to an early lead through Saviour Isaac, but the visitors responded on the stroke of halftime through Ojonugwa Adejoh.
Kareem Ogunleye and Chiedozie Okorie added two more goals for the Rangers in the second half as they prevented a late surge from the Abia Warriors, who pulled one back in stoppage time through Pascal Nwabueze.
By that result, the seven-time Nigerian champions, who have 54 points, held on to their three-point lead above champions Enyimba, who also beat relegation-threatened Heartland 1-0 in another keenly contested fixture in Aba, where Ekene Awaziem’s first-half goal made the difference for Finidi George’s side.
Two other fixtures on the day saw 3SC thrash Lobi Stars 2-0 at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba, Ibadan, to move to fourth in the standings, while Rivers United humbled Plateau United 3-1 at Adokiye Amiesiamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.
Kwara United secured a 2-1 win away to basement club Gombe United.
In Uyo, Akwa United defeated the free-scoring Niger Tornadoes 4-1, but it wasn’t enough to push them out of the relegation zone as they still sit 18th in the table with 34 points after 30 games.
