There is plenty to talk about the opening matchday of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). We capture the major talking points from the 10 matches.
TOP-TWO SERVE UP EYE-CATCHING SPECTACLE
Defending champions, Remo Stars and last season’s runners-up Rivers United surely put up a match befitting of the opening game of the season at the adopted MKO Abiola Sports Arena home ground in Abeokuta. It was quite a game with Rivers United going in front just three minutes into the season through Aniekeme Okon before Victor Mbaoma levelled the score six minutes later. And that was that for this game except for brilliant moments that amounted to no further goals.
ANIEKEME OKON TAKES HONOUR OF SCORING FIRST GOAL
Rivers United winger, Aniekeme Okon, was quick off the blocks by scoring the first goal of the season. Okon did well enough to evade his marker and rose high enough for a small man to glance his header past Remo Stars goalkeeper Adebiyi Serge Obassa.
THE BIG BOYS STUMBLE
The top-two from last season shared the points but the story was different for most of the big guns on the opening day. The biggest casualties on Matchweek 1 were Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC). The club under new management began the campaign on a losing note and in front of their supporters at the Lekan Salami Stadium where they lost 0-1 to Bayelsa United through Kehinde Malik Lawal’s first half goal. Clinton Ezekiel between the sticks for Bayelsa United also deserve a mention for keeping out 3SC.
Other big hitters, Rangers, Kano Pillars, Enyimba and Plateau United all failed to win on the opening day. New boys Kun Khalifat FC surprisingly held off eight-time champions, Rangers at their Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium ground to a 0-0 draw while Kano Pillars and Plateau United suffered lone goal defeats at Abia Warriors and Wikki Tourists respectively with Paul Samson and Luis Dadong scoring accordingly.
Enyimba held on in Kano to a 0-0 draw against newcomers Barau FC. The People’s Elephant finished the game with a man light in the final moments when Mujeeb Odufeso was sent off.
DEJA VU FOR AWERORO?
For 3SC head coach, Nurudeen Aweroro, who just took charge, it will not be the first time he is losing in his first game after taking up management of an NPFL side. Last season, when he assumed the role of head coach at Ikorodu City, he lost his first game at Enyimba (2-1) and then followed up with guiding the Oga Boys to a run of six unbeaten matches. So will he repeat same feat at Shooting Stars with their next six matches to come against Bendel Insurance, Ikorodu City, Rivers United, Kun Khalifat FC, Warri Wolves and Plateau United.
NEWCOMERS SHOW GRIT
With the old guards dropping the ball on the opening day, all four promoted sides finished the matchweek unbeaten. The biggest winners of the day were Warri Wolves who pulled off a surprise win at Katsina United. Igbunnu Evwierhurhoma’s strike in the final 15 minutes ensured Wolves returned to Warri the full points and that makes Napoleon Aluma’s men, a side to watch going forward.
Two newcomers, Kun Khalifat FC and Barau FC, took points off Rangers and Enyimba, two of the league’s most decorated sides with 17 titles in between them. Kun Khalifat FC did enough to leave The Cathedral with a 0-0 draw while Barau FC also earned a point off Enyimba in a goalless draw.
RED CARDS BLUR OPENING DAY
Amidst the lead spell of goals on the opening day, three red cards were recorded. In the first game of the season, Rivers United captain, Temple Emekayi, was sent off late in the game. El-Kanemi Warriors midfielder, Zayyad Musa, also got the marching orders against Bendel Insurance. Zayyad’s expulsion did not affect El-Kanemi’s 2-0 win helped by second half goals from Al-amin Umar from the spot and Daddy Abdulrahman.
The third red card was issued to Enyimba striker, Mujeeb Odufeso at the Sani Abacha Stadium against Barau FC. So that means the trio of Emekayi, Zayyad and Odufeso will miss the next three matches of their clubs.
PLENTY OF CLEAN SHEETS
Just as red cards tainted the opening day, clean sheets also made the matchweek different. Twelve goalkeepers earned themselves clean sheets to the start of the campaign and surely the race for the safest hands has began.
The 12 goalkeepers are Ali Ishaku (Abia Warriors), Godswill Utum (Wikki Tourists), Vincent Edafe (Warri Wolves), Abine George (Rangers), Nsikak-Abong Akpan (Kun Khalifat FC), Suraj Ayeleso (Kwara United), Michael Atata (Ikorodu City), Hakeem Otuyiga (El-Kanemi Warriors), Clinton Ezekiel (Bayelsa United), Salim Ali (Barau FC), Kelvin Ogunga (Enyimba) and Ifeanyi Nchekube (Niger Tornadoes).
Surely we will start seeing the number of goalkeepers among the clean sheets trimming when the next matchweek ends.
SHIMAGANDE RETURNS TO HAUNT NASARAWA UTD
The opening matchweek ended in Ilorin with Niger Tornadoes claimed the full points in a tight contest against Nasarawa United. Tornadoes play their home matches at the Kwara State Sports Stadium held on to Terdoo Shimagande’s first goal to win 1-0. Shimagande last season only featured for the Solid Miners and this term, he opened his goals account against his former employers.
An interesting season definitely awaits the forward as he prepares with his teammates for the trip to Aba, where they will face Enyimba this Sunday.