Author: Timothy Dehinbo
There has always been a sense of optimism in the air around Ikenne. Remo Stars, after all, are a club built on ambition, from their well-kept stadium facility to the structure around their football operations, the attractive style of football they play, their thriving academy, and the way they carry themselves as more than just another NPFL side. But each time they stepped onto the continental stage, their ambition met a harsh reality. The records speak bluntly. In their debut CAF Confederation Cup outing in 2022, they drew 1-1 away in Morocco to AS FAR Rabat and lost the return…
Matchday 4 of the NPFL26 season was a weekend of release and reminder. For Shola Adegun and Plateau United, it was release. The weight of three straight defeats was finally lifted with a first win of the season. In Bayelsa, Enyimba sent out the sharpest reminder yet of their intent, maybe. They are still unbreached. Rivers United held their ground, still unbeaten, still stubborn. And in Lagos, there was joy of a different shade. Ikorodu City had its first win of the season, having drawn the first three, and remaining unbeaten. Here are the biggest talking points from Matchday 4…
Picture this: you’ve played for your country, emptied yourself in the minutes you were given. You walk back into the dressing room, shoulders heavy, the silence thick due to the disappointment of not getting the needed result. Then, minutes later, you reach for your phone, and there it is. Not from the press, pundits, but your own federation. The very body that called you up, that put the shirt on your back, is now publishing a match report that singles you out, twisting the knife when it should be the shield. That is the bizarre, self-destructive reality of Nigerian football.…
The beauty of the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, lies in its unpredictability. Every new season arrives with its own mysteries. Can the champions hold on to their crown? Which club will flirt with relegation before pulling off a final-day escape? And just as intriguing, which new names will rise from obscurity, break through the noise, and make their mark on the campaign? For all the talk about proper structure, refereeing controversies, and some other grotesque scenes, the Nigerian league has always been about the players. Every year, there’s a handful who rise from the fringes, young graduates of the…
There’s something about Ibadan and its football — the tension, the history, the noise. Shooting Stars isn’t just a club here; it’s identity. It’s what makes matchdays feel like something. From Yekini and Odegbami to the fans in the stands who would bleed for this badge, 3SC has always been more than 90 minutes. It’s pride, culture, and for many, the only thing that makes sense in chaos. But in recent years, things haven’t exactly felt glorious. Results dipped. Promises didn’t match performances. And while the fans stayed loud, frustration crept in. So when the club hit the reset button…