Away Teams Shine as NPFL Matchday 20 Delivers Shock Results

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 20 produced a wave of unexpected outcomes on Sunday, with several away teams claiming impressive victories across different centres.

At the El-Kanemi Warriors Stadium, El-Kanemi Warriors secured a slim 1–0 win over Bayelsa United, as Daddy Abdulrahman struck the decisive goal in the 19th minute to earn the hosts maximum points.

In Barau, the home side edged Niger Tornadoes 2–1 in an entertaining contest. Uche Moses opened the scoring in the 25th minute before Muhammad Umar doubled the lead early in the second half. Clinton Jephta pulled one back for Tornadoes in the 65th minute, but the visitors could not complete a comeback.

Abia Warriors and Plateau United shared the spoils in Umuahia, playing out a 1–1 draw. Plateau United took an early lead through Saka Gafar in the 8th minute, before Emeka Obioma equalised for the hosts in the 28th minute.

In Ilorin, Bendel Insurance continued their impressive away form with a 1–0 victory over Kwara United. Emmanuel Akpan’s 37th-minute strike proved decisive as the visitors held on for all three points.

Warri Wolves also tasted success on the road, edging Wikki Tourists 1–0 in Bauchi, courtesy of Ezekiel Oroh’s 59th-minute winner.

Holders, Remo Stars maintained their momentum with a hard-fought 1–0 home win over Ikorodu City, with Haruna Hadi scoring shortly after the restart in the 47th minute.

One of the standout performances of the weekend came in Ibadan, where Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) thrashed Enyimba 3–0 at the Lekan Salami Stadium. Lucky Emmanuel opened the scoring in the 17th minute, before second-half goals from Sodiq Ibrahim and Qamar Adegoke in the 81st and 89th minutes sealed a commanding victory.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Rangers International and Rivers United played out a goalless draw in a tightly contested encounter.

Meanwhile in Lafia, Kano Pillars claimed a vital 1–0 away win against Nasarawa United, with Chiedozie Okorie netting the decisive goal in the 49th minute.

The Matchday 20 results further underline the growing competitiveness of the NPFL this season, as away sides continue to assert their strength and disrupt traditional home dominance across the league.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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