NPFL: Akwa United Crowned Champions As Season Ends
The 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season ended in dramatic fashion as Akwa United were crowned champions, while Rivers United and Enyimba International FC claimed their much-desired tickets for continental competitions.
Akwa United grabbed their first NPFL title five days earlier following a flattering 5-2 victory over Mountain of Fire and Miracles Football Club (MFM FC) in their penultimate match of the season to finish the season on 71 points with a game to spare.
The Promise Keepers (Akwa United) set a new record with its 18-match unbeaten run, consequently surpassing the 13-match unbeaten sequence of both Enyimba (in 2005) and Kano Pillars (in 2019).
Akwa United coach Kennedy Boboye also wrote his name in the NPFL history books by winning his second league title after also leading Plateau United to their first title during the 2016/17 season.
The 2020/2021 season will however go down in history as one of the hotly contested with both Rivers United and Enyimba sealing the second and third position respectively on the final day of the season.
Though Rivers United lost 1-0 away to Sunshine Stars in Akure, their rank was boosted via ‘boardroom points’ as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Disciplinary Committee awarded them three points and three goals from an earlier disputed match.
In match day 34 of the NPFL, Jigawa Golden Stars fielded an ineligible player against Rivers United. The decision means Rivers United ended the season in second position with 66 points and will represent Nigeria along with Akwa United in the forthcoming TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Enyimba secured a CAF Confederation Cup slot after a 2-1 away victory against Dakkada FC in Uyo with 66 points.
The race for the league’s top scorer award equally ended on a dramatic note on the final day of the season as Akwa United forward Charles Atshimene and Nasarawa United forward Silas Nwankwo ended the season as joint top scorers with 19 goals.
Nwankwo netted his 19th goal in his side’s 3-1 away loss to Abia warriors, while Atshimene scored his 19th in his side’s 2-1 away loss to Lobi Stars in Makurdi.
Jigawa Golden Stars, Warri Wolves, Adamawa United and FC IfeanyiUbah were the four relegated teams at the end of the season and would compete in the second-tier Nigeria National League (NNL) next season.
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Match Day 38 NPFL results
Abia Warriors 3-1 Nasarawa United
Dakkada FC 1-3 Enyimba
Enugu Rangers 2-0 Plateau United
Heartland Owerri 1-0 Kano Pillars
Ifeanyi Ubah United 1-0 Warri Wolves
Kwara United 3-0 Katsina United
Lobi Stars 2-1 Akwa United
MFM FC 2-0 Jigawa Golden Stars
Sunshine Stars 1-0 Rivers United FC
Wiki Tourist 2-0 Adamawa United
Chidi Nwoke/CAF.
