Big losers on final day of 2026 NPFL season

The 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season ended on Sunday, May 24, 2026, with Enugu Rangers crowned as champions after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.

Without a doubt, the final matchday delivered a dramatic finish at both ends of the table after some matchday 37 results had stretched the fight for the title and battles against relegation to the last day.

Enugu Rangers, driven by a crucial two-goal performance from captain Chidiebere Nwobodo on the final day, finished top of the standings with 68 points for their 9th league title, matching Enyimba FC as the joint-most successful club in Nigerian top-flight history.

However, Rivers United pushed the race to the very last minute, finishing just one point behind the champions at 67 points, but the emphatic 3-0 victory against Katsina United wasn’t enough to earn the “Pride of Rivers” a second title.

Although Rivers United qualified for the next CAF Champions League along with Enugu Rangers, the failure to clinch the title leaves them among the big losers on the final day of the season.

The big losers

Rivers United:

The “Pride of Rivers” would have won a second NPFL title had Enugu Rangers suffered a mishap on the road against Ikorodu City. However, the “Flying Antelopes” kept their nerves and emerged with a win in the tense contest to ensure that the result in Port Harcourt counted for nothing.

So, even as Rivers United played their part at home while waiting for Rangers’ “misfortune,” there was no slip up in Lagos, which put paid to their title ambition. They fought a good fight but their destiny was no longer in their hands.

Ikorodu City:

The Lagos boys went into the final match with a chance to snatch one of the continental tickets. Had they beaten Rangers, Ikorodu City with 58 points would have leapfrogged 3SC to finish in third position.

Unfortunately, the “Oga boys” faltered when it mattered most, falling to a shocking 1-2 loss to eventual champions Enugu Rangers at home.

3SC, therefore, ended third on the table with 60 points even as they suffered a slim 0-1 defeat at Niger Tornadoes who needed the maximum points to remain in the topflight.

Remo Stars:

The defending champions moved from heroes to villains following their relegation on the last day of the season. A win at Bendel Insurance would have kept the “Sky Blue” boys in the topflight but they could only manage a 1-1 draw in Benin City. Consequently, their survival dreams evaporated into thin air after Kun Khalifat defeated already relegated Wikki Tourists in the rain-delayed week 38 fixture.

El-Kanemi Warriors:

The Borno Warriors were hoping to win at Enyimba to retain their NPFL position but it was a disappointing end for one of the biggest clubs up north after they fell to an embarrassing 0-3 defeat in Aba. After the loss, El-Kanemi Warriors finished the season with only 47 points and a -17 goal difference.

So, even as other strugglers Enyimba, Kun Khalifat, Niger Tornadoes, Kano Pillars, and kwara United survived on the final day, El-Kanemi Warriors, Remo Stars, and already relegated Bayelsa United and Wikki Tourists, are left to face life in the lower division next season.

المصدر: Daily Trust (NG)