The attention of Nigeria Premier Football League fans will be at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium this Friday as Katsina United host Enyimba in the first late kick-off match of the season. For the first time in two seasons, fans will get to watch a scheduled NPFL match under the floodlights.

The development comes as part of the EuroMatch NPFL broadcast deal with MBI to make more matches available every match week from Friday through Sunday, which will also see matches played at different times instead of simultaneously.

It has been an eventful week off the pitch in the league. Sporting Lagos coach, Jeffrey Buter, got a sanction in the tune of N500,000 from the league body for unsubstantiated comments he made on the league organisers and the Nigeria Referees Association, while Shooting Stars fans expressed their anger by calling out the club’s management following a series of poor results.

The Nigeria Premier Football League enters matchday 8 this weekend with a couple of key battles to look forward to, starting from Katsina, Owerri, Kano, Jos down to Lagos, where Sporting Lagos will hope to get their first win in three matches.

After a difficult start to the season, nine-time champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Enyimba are gradually getting back to form. The Elephants ended their losing streak at Kano Pillars before recording consecutive home wins over Shooting Stars and Plateau United. The Aba Elephants go into the tie against their hosts with a level of confidence, as Emmanuel Deutsch’s men hope to continue their newfound form.

However, the Aba Elephants are in territory where they have not won since 2018. Enyimba have lost on their five previous visits against the hosts but are not lacking in confidence this time as they look to end that losing streak. Katsina United have won six of their last seven home matches and will look to continue the run against the record NPFL champions. The fixture has produced 25 goals over the last ten meetings, which sets the stage for what should be an end-to-end encounter under the floodlights.

League leaders and defending champions Enugu Rangers are in Kano to take on Barau FC at the Sani Abacha Stadium. Fidelis Ilechukwu’s men have been decent on the road this season with two wins from three and will look to add to their road trip wins this Sunday. But the Flying Antelopes faces a side with an imperious home record with seven consecutive wins. Enugu Rangers’ away trip at Barau ended in a 2-0 loss. Barau are undefeated against the champions in two meetings and will take aim at getting maximum points again.

The Dan Anyiam Stadium will host Kun Khalifa and Shooting Stars – two teams on a poor run of results from recent games this weekend. Both teams have managed just one win in their last five matches, but the hosts have been far worse, with four losses, while the Oluyole Warriors have lost two and drawn two. Fans of Shooting Stars put their club in the spotlight midweek after the barren draw against Kano Pillars at the Lekan Salami Stadium.

A group of aggrieved home fans blocked the car of the team’s manager and sporting director on their way out of the stadium. Another section had chanted “Ole!” which translates to “thief,” at the sporting director in a separate incident outside the stadium as they expressed their frustration over the recent poor results. Coach Salisu Yusuf, who fans want out of the club, goes into Sunday’s match under pressure to ease the tension on his future and change the club’s fortune on the pitch.

Daniel Ogunmodede’s Kano Pillars are winless in four matches, and the Masu Gida faces a tough task as they look to put an end to that run when they take on Plateau United in Jos on Sunday. Kano Pillars are on a run of four consecutive draws, while the hosts have won two, lost one, and drawn one. Plateau United, led by veteran coach Gbenga Ogunbote, have won recent meetings between both sides in Jos and will hope to build on it as the two former champions go head-to-head.

Sporting Lagos are also winless in four games, and they are at home to Bendel Insurance, who having ended Barau FC’s unbeaten run last week, are seeking their first back-to-back win of the season. Ada Bendel can be a difficult nut to crack sometimes, but they are up against a Lagos side desperate for a win. Sporting Lagos won the last meeting between the two sides at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in 2024 courtesy of Raymond Tochukwu’s lone goal. The Tech Boys will hope to repeat the feat on Sunday as they look to begin the new week on a high note ahead of another tough tie next week.

Other NPFL fixtures will see Abia Warriors take on Rivers United, and Nasarawa United will host Doma. Warri Wolves are at home to Inter Lagos. Ikorodu City hosts Kwara United, while Niger Tornadoes are Ranchers Bees’ guests in Katsina on Saturday. ( The Guardian)