Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) Football Club were officially relegated to the second division of Nigerian football after a 1-2 loss to Niger Tornadoes in Ijebu-Ode on Sunday.
The Church Boys have spent most parts of the 2021/2022 league season in the bottom four of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and eventually confirmed their relegation in Sunday’s Match Day 36 game.
In-form Munir Idris had given Tornadoes the lead in the 22nd minute but Chukwudi Ekeocha levelled three minutes after the hour mark. Jonas Emmanuel’s brilliant individual effort then won the game for ten-man Tornadoes
The result marks the end to an era which saw the less fancied team climb to the highest parts of Nigerian league football, featuring in the 2018 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup competitions.
In Port Harcourt, newly crowned champions Rivers United defeated Kano Pillars 1-0 to attain a record haul of points in a single season.
Left back Ebube Duru converted a 94th minute penalty to take United’s points tally to 74 points, one more than the previous record of 73 points set by Dolphins, also coached by current Rivers United head Stanley Eguma in 2011.
Remo Stars took a big leap for third spot after a 1-0 win over Enyimba in Ikenne Remo. Sikiru Alimi scored seconds after the break to claim all three points for the Sky Blue Stars.
Kwara United moved to 4th following an emphatic 3-0 win over Nasarawa United in Ilorin with strikers Samad Kadiri and Junior Lokosa on target.
The penultimate Match Day of the season comes up next weekend.
Match Day 36 Results
Saturday
Abia Warriors 3-2 Gombe United
Dakkada 2-0 Katsina United
Heartland 1-0 Sunshine Stars
Rangers 2-2 Shooting Stars
Sunday
MFM 1-2 Niger Tornadoes
Remo Stars 1-0 Enyimba
Plateau Utd 2-1 Lobi Stars
Wikki Tourists 2-0 Akwa Utd
Rivers Utd 1-0 Kano Pillars
Kwara Utd 3-0 Nasarawa Utd