Joint table toppers, Plateau United and Lobi Stars have tough home ties to negotiate today as the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season enters match day 14.
It will be a meeting of two former club bosses when first placed side Plateau United host Akwa United at the New Jos Stadium with Abdu Maikaba and Kennedy Boboye coming face-to-face. Both coaches were at opposite ends when Plateau won the league in 2017, with Boboye masterminding the Tin City side’s first ever league title.
Lobi Stars moved joint top with Plateau after an away win against Adamawa United on Wednesday and will face MFM FC at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi today. Lobi Stars are the only remaining side with 100 per cent home record in the league this term and they face a side they have always beaten in Makurdi.
Rivers United are third on the log (though on same points with Plateau and Lobi), they face a tricky southern derby in the hands of giant killers Dakkada FC in Uyo today. The Nest of Champions, venue of the game is where Rivers United suffered an excruciating defeat in the hands of Dakkada’s local rivals, Akwa United and Stanley Eguma’s men will be out to avoid a repeat.
There is the small matter of the baby Oriental Derby today too with Heartland hosting bogey side Abia Warriors at the Okigwe Stadium.
Heartland have never beaten Abia Warriors in the NPFL with the Naze millionaires losing six out of their nine previous meetings, including their last encounter in Okigwe last term. Fidelis Ilechukwu and his much-changed squad will be hoping to rewrite history today.
FC Ifeanyi Ubah will return home to Nnewi after back-to-back losses on the road and their guests today will be Warri Wolves from neighbouring Delta State. Wolves on their own are on a pretty decent run of form, having lost just one of their last five matches but will be tested by the Anambra Warriors, who have only dropped points at home once this season.
Kwara United coach Abdullahi Biffo will lead out his charges against his former employers Katsina United at the Ilorin Township Stadium. Biffo left Katsina to return home at the end of last season and today’s game will also be a return to Ilorin for former ABS coach Henry Makinwa, who is in charge of Katsina United.