Abia Warriors and Heartland are in a race to beat the drop in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) when they play hosts to Enyimba and Niger Tornadoes respectively on Wednesday.
Both teams are in the bottom-four of the standings and need outright wins to give themselves lifeline in the race for survival.
Abia Warriors are up against outgoing champions Enyimba, who have had a disappointing season by their standards, but still have a top-three spot to play for, if mathematical equations are put into consideration.
The People's Elephant will need to win their last two matches of the season against Abia Warriors and FC Ifeanyiubah. Both games are on the road and are also southeast derbies for the two-time African champions, leaving them with a Herculean task.
For Abia Warriors an outright win over their city rivals this Wednesday will see them leapfrog MFM FC and Warri Wolves and possibly Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) on goal difference. It will mean Wolves will drop into the bottom-four going into matchweek 37 this weekend.
Former champions Heartland are faced with being relegated from the top-flight for the first time in their 40-year history. Their game against Niger Tornadoes represents a last chance saloon for them to give themselves the hope of escaping the drop as they still have to play Kano Pillars at home and then Plateau United on the road on the final day of the campaign.
If Heartland defeat Tornadoes in their rearranged match this Wednesday, they improve their points haul to 40 but they remain three places from the bottom and will need to win their last two matches and hope results elsewhere favour them as they bid to escape the drop.
The third game on Wednesday is an inconsequential one as Kano Pillars play host to El-Kanemi Warriors at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.
credit: supersport