NPFL: MFM relegated, Rivers United set new record

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) Football Club have been officially relegated to the second division of Nigerian football (NNL) after a 1-2 loss to Niger Tornadoes in Ijebu-Ode on Sunday.

The Church Boys endured a turbulent 2021/2022 league season, spending most of the weeks in the bottom zone. But they could not steer away to safety as their relegation from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) was eventually confirmed in Sunday’s Match Day 36 game.

It was the Ikon Allah boys who went in front through the in-form Munir Idris in the 22nd minute but Chukwudi Ekeocha levelled three minutes after the hour mark. Jonas Emmanuel’s brilliant individual effort in stoppage time then won the game for ten-man Tornadoes.

MFM, who gained promotion to the topflight in 2016, could not survive the drop as the result marked the end to an era that saw the less fancied team climb to the highest parts of Nigerian league football, featuring in the 2018 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup competitions.

In Port Harcourt, newly crowned champions Rivers United defeated Kano Pillars 1-0 to attain a record haul of points in a single season.

Left-back Ebube Duru converted a 94th-minute penalty to take United’s points tally to 74 points, one more than the previous record of 73 points set by Dolphins, also coached by current Rivers United head Stanley Eguma in 2011.

Shooting Stars scored twice in the final quarter to nick a point away at Enugu Rangers. Shedrack Asiegbu and Chidiebere Nwobodo had given the flying Antelopes a two-goal lead before the Ibadan rallied back through a Moses Omoduemuke brace.

Dethroned champions Akwa United were beaten 2-0 by Wikki Tourists in Bauchi on Sunday. Taye Muritala and Prince John scored for the big Elephants in the comfortable win.

High-flying Remo Stars took a big leap for a third-place finish after a 1-0 win over Enyimba in Ikenne Remo. Sikiru Alimi scored seconds after the break to hand the Sky Blue Stars all three points.

Kwara United moved to 4th following an emphatic 3-0 win over Nasarawa United in Ilorin with strikers Samad Kadiri and Junior Lokosa on target.

Matchday 37 comes up next weekend.