By Dayo Awoniyi
Remo Stars took a decisive step toward their first-ever Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title on Sunday with a gritty 1–0 win over Shooting Stars in a fiercely contested South-West derby in Ibadan.
Midfielder Alex Oyowah delivered the breakthrough in the 30th minute, finishing off a fluid attacking move to hand the visitors a crucial lead. Despite sustained pressure from the hosts, Remo Stars held firm to secure all three points at the Lekan Salami Stadium.
The result extends Remo Stars’ lead at the top of the NPFL table to seven points, with 65 points from 34 matches and just four rounds left to play. The victory further solidifies their position as strong title favorites, as they chase a historic league triumph.
Rivers United kept pace in second place with a narrow win of their own, while Ikorodu City climbed to third after a hard-earned draw on the road. Bendel Insurance also made a slight move up the table following a stalemate with Nasarawa United.
Meanwhile, Heartland’s relegation troubles deepened after failing to capitalize on home advantage in a goalless draw against Kwara United. Akwa United’s struggles also continued with a loss that keeps them firmly in danger.
As the season winds down, Remo Stars look increasingly poised for a fairytale finish, while the battle for survival at the bottom remains as fierce as ever.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
