NPFL: Title, Survival Battles Go Down To The Wire

The 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier League (NPFL) season is entering its thrilling final stages, and for the first time in many years, the outcome remains incredibly unpredictable for every team involved.

With just six match weeks remaining, it’s remarkable that no club is yet assured of winning the league, securing a coveted continental spot, or facing the dreaded drop to the second tier, after thirty-two weeks of gruelling football.

This NPFL season has captivated Nigerian football fans with a memorable blend of intrigue, drama, shocks, controversies, and delightful moments. The final sprint promises to be no less exciting.

As the popular Nigerian musician Brymo sang, “we all need something.” From Lagos to Enugu, and Kano to Port Harcourt, every fan and club has aspirations hanging in the balance. The season’s fluctuating results have created immense uncertainty regarding clubs’ ambitions across all levels of the league table.

This particular NPFL campaign is truly one for the ages! While perennial title contenders like Rangers and Rivers United have maintained their challenge, others find themselves fighting desperately against the ignominy of relegation.

The season began with Nasarawa United and Abia Warriors unexpectedly setting the pace, a sign of the extraordinary campaign to come. Both teams are still in contention for a continental position.

Conversely, the season has unfolded disastrously for some of the nation’s traditional powerhouses. Kano Pillars and Enyimba FC, usually at the top, have found themselves battling for survival at the lower end of the table – one of the most inexplicable stories of the campaign. While Pillars experienced relegation four years ago, Enyimba have been a league mainstay for 25 years and are now facing an unprecedented threat.

Another shocking narrative is that of the reigning champions, Remo Stars. Having started as hopefuls for the Champions League group stage, they found themselves strong candidates for demotion to the NNL, though their chances of beating the drop have improved recently.

Although former champions Rivers United and Rangers International have been neck and neck for the past four weeks in the title race, the fact that only five points separate first from fifth with six matches left means teams in third, fourth, and fifth are poised to capitalise on any slip-up from the top two.