Former champions Plateau United and Kano Pillars enjoyed crucial wins on Match Day 18 of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) decided on Sunday across various centres.
Striker Ibrahim Mustapha netted his 8th goal of the season to send Plateau United back to the top of the 2018/19 league log as his 3rd minute strike earned his side a 1-0 win over 3rd placed Rivers United in Jos.
United’s ascension back to the summit was made possible by Lobi Stars’ 0-1 loss to struggling Jigawa Golden Stars at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Saturday.
Kano Pillars moved to the top half of the table for the first time since Match Day 3 after a routine 2-0 win over doomed Adamawa United, also in Kano.
Goals either side of half time by in-form Auwalu Ali and Ewenike Achibi (a curling free kick) gave Masu Gida the needed three points to make it back to back home wins for them.
Dakkada FC moved to fourth position after another impressive away performance; this time a 1-1 draw at Wikki Tourists in Bauchi. Togolese stiker Femi Ajayi’s 87th minute goal cancelled out Daniel Jackson’s earlier strike for the Tourists.
FULL RESULTS
Jigawa Golden Stars 1-0 Lobi Stars
Yusuf Suleiman 88’
Nasarawa Utd 3-1 Abia Warriors
Abdallah Mohammed 28’, Chidi Solomon 43’, Haggai Katoh 74’ – Emmanuel Ugwuka 3’
Heartland 1-0 Sunshine Stars
Abiodun Thompson 3’
Kwara Utd 1-0 MFM FC
Christopher Nwaeze 73’ (PEN)
Kano Pillars 2-0 Adamawa Utd
Auwalu Ali 41’, Achibi Ewenike 54’
FC Ifeanyiubah 0-0 Akwa Utd
Wikki Tourists 1-1 Dakkada FC
Daniel Jackson 68’ – Femi Ajayi 87’
Plateau Utd 1-0 Rivers Utd
Ibrahim Mustapha 3’
