NPFL: Bendel Insurance face Lobi Stars in battle of relegation candidates; Sunshine Stars and Kano Pillars seek end to winless runs
It will be a battle between two teams who are within the relegation zone of the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, when Bendel Insurance host Lobi Stars Saturday at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin.
Bendel Insurance are in the bottom three of the NPFL log with 17 points but are just two points off Lobi Stars who are 15th on the log with 19 points.
The homers have won their last two home fixtures, beating Kwara United and Plateau United at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium respectively and will be confident of adding the visitors, who are winless away from home as their third victim and move over them on the log.
A win for Lobi Stars however will further steer them away from the trouble zone.
At the Remo Stars stadium in Ikenne, Sunshine Stars would be looking to end a six-game winless run when they host El-Kanemi Warriors.
Sunshine Stars have not won a game in their last five matches and have drawn two of those games, losing three.
The 18th-placed side in the NPFL table have struggled since the sacking of Kennedy Boboye and their visitors could further rub salts in their wounds.
El-Kanemi Warriors are fifth on the log following their 3-0 victory over Abia Warriors last week and a win for the Maiduguri-based side could see them move up to the top three.
At the Sani Abacha stadium, Kano Pillars will also be looking to end a five-game winless run when they host Niger Tornadoes.
The Sai Masu Gida have lost their last two matches and drawn two, leaving them slipping down the table to 10th, though with a game in hand against Enyimba.
Tornadoes will look to build on their 4-1 thrashing of Sunshine Stars last weekend but have lost their last three away matches.
NPFL Table
Team MP W D L F A D P Last 5 matches
Rivers United 17 9 5 3 17 9 +8 32 WLWDW
Remo Stars 17 9 3 5 19 11 +8 30 DWLWL
Enugu Rangers 17 7 7 3 17 10 +7 28 DWDWD
Shooting Stars 17 8 3 6 16 13 +3 27 WWWLW
El Kanemi Warriors 17 6 8 3 18 17 +1 26 WLDLW
Ikorodu City 17 7 4 6 23 17 +6 25 DLWWD
Niger Tornadoes 17 6 6 5 19 18 +1 24 WLWLD
Bayelsa United 17 6 6 5 15 16 -1 24 WWDWL
Enyimba 14 5 7 2 14 9 +5 22 DDDDD
Kano Pillars 16 6 4 6 19 20 -1 22 LWLDD
Heartland 17 5 6 6 17 18 -1 21 DLWLD
Abia Warriors 17 6 3 8 14 21 -7 21 LWLWL
Kwara United 16 5 5 6 16 15 +1 20 LLWLW
Katsina United 17 5 5 7 12 14 -2 20 DLWLW
Lobi Stars 17 5 4 8 16 23 -7 19 WLWLD
Plateau United 17 6 3 8 17 20 -3 18 LWLLW
Nasarawa United 16 5 3 8 15 20 -5 18 WLWLL
Sunshine Stars 17 5 3 9 11 20 -9 18 LDLLD
Bendel Insurance 17 5 5 7 16 20 -4 17 DDWLW
Akwa United 17 4 4 9 13 19 -6 16 LDLWL
