The Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) has officially announced January 25th as the return date for the second stanza of the 2024-2025 season.
The highly anticipated return will see the country’s top football clubs back in action, ready to compete to achieve their various objectives in the second half of the season.
According to football journalist MikeThePundit, The Southwest derby between Sunshine Stars and Ikorodu City in Ikenne will kick off the second half of the league as “the Oga boys” will be hoping for a repeat of the corresponding fixture where they defeated Sunshine Stars 2-1.
Meanwhile, Enyimba’s NPFL match against Kwara United has been postponed for the second time, now scheduled for February 5th, due to the club’s ongoing CAF Confederation Cup commitments.
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The Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) is heating up, with Enyimba poised to make a dramatic comeback in the title race. Currently, they trail leaders Remo Stars by nine points, but with two games in hand, they could potentially close the gap and become serious contenders.
The title chase is expected to be intense, with several top teams vying for the top spot. Finidi George’s Rivers United is one of them, and they will be looking to make a strong push in the second half of the season. Another team to watch is Shooting Stars, who have been on an impressive winning streak, with five consecutive victories without conceding a single goal.
Defending champions Enugu Rangers are also still in the mix, only five points behind Remo Stars. They will be determined to defend their title and make a strong comeback in the second half of the season. With several teams still in contention, the NPFL title race is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent years.
Beyond the title contenders, several teams are also eyeing a top-four finish to secure a spot in continental competitions. El-Kanemi Warriors is one of such teams, sitting just two points behind fourth-placed Enugu Rangers, making them a strong contender for the fourth spot.
Newly-promoted Ikorodu City, nicknamed “the Oga boys,” are also seeking to make a historic top-four finish. With 28 points from 19 games, they aim to improve their performance and results in the second half of the season.
Abia Warriors, led by Super Eagles B representative Sunday Megwo, also have an outside chance of breaking into the top four, trailing Ikorodu United by just one point. They’ll be looking to extend their three-game winning streak into the second half of the season.
The relegation battle is shaping up to be just as thrilling as the title and top-four races, with a mere five-point gap separating 9th-placed Kano Pillars from the drop zone, highlighting the razor-thin margins and impending intensity of the second half of the season.
The appointment of new head coaches, including Abubakar Bala at Sunshine Stars, Greg Ikhenoba at Bendel Insurance, and the return of Kennedy Boboye to Akwa United, adds a fresh layer of intrigue to the relegation battle, as these experienced tacticians seek to turn their teams’ fortunes around and secure top-flight survival.
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