The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) climaxed this past weekend with Rangers International lifting the title, while Sporting Lagos were confirmed relegated after a 1-0 loss to Shooting Stars in Ibadan.
Bayelsa United produced a masterclass in Benin to escape relegation on the final day.
Chijioke Mbaoma, neck and neck with Sikiru Alimi for the Golden Boot award, managed to edge out the Remo Stars man to earn the top goal-scorer gong.
After 38 weeks of scintillating football, here is a rundown of the winners, losers, honorary mentions and breakout stars
NPFL Winners
Rangers International
Rangers International did not start the league on a fantastic note, but once they settled down, especially in the second half of the season, there was no catching them.
Remo Stars, Enyimba, and Shooting Stars gave them a credible chase but all came short as the Enugu-based side won their first league title since 2016.
Fidelis Ilechukwu will be proud of what he and his team have done this season, adding the NPFL title to his resume.
Remo Stars and Enyimba
Daniel Ogunmodede would have wanted more than just second place, but due credit must be given to his Remo Stars team and Enyimba for securing continental slots.
Gbenga Ogunbote and his Shooting Stars wards should also be proud of their showing this season, despite missing out on the CAF places. Their fourth-place finish is their best in over a decade.
Top goal scorer Chijioke Mbaoma
Chijioke Mbaoma’s 17 goals were enough for the striker to win the top goal scorer award.
Mohammed Babaganaru deserves mention for successfully helping Akwa United avoid the drop. When he took over, it looked like Akwa were doomed for relegation, but despite initial setbacks, he oversaw a comeback, including a crucial 2-1 away win in Lafia against Nassarawa United.
Despite Sporting Lagos being relegated, Jonathan Alukwu stood out by scoring 12 goals, dragging his team through the league and being a shining light throughout the campaign.
Losers
The four teams that dropped into the Nigeria National League were undoubtedly the season's biggest losers.
Gombe United
Gombe United put up arguably the worst performance by a bottom team in 11 years, finishing the league with a meager 25 points and a negative 57 goal difference.
Heartland and Doma United
Heartland have often flirted with relegation, so it wasn’t a surprise to see them go down to the NNL. However, the same cannot be said of Doma United. The Gombe side started the league strong and were in the top five for most of the first half of the season. Unfortunately, injuries and a loss of form saw them wobble in the second half, resulting in relegation.
Sporting Lagos
Sporting Lagos entered the NPFL with much fanfare after their Super Eight win before the season started. Despite a strong start, they fizzled out towards the end of the season.
Abdullahi Biffo, a well-known name in Nigerian football, was expected to turn things around after Paul Offor was sacked. Unfortunately, he could not produce any magic as the ‘Tech Boys’ went down at the first time of asking.
Breakout Stars
Every season brings new stars who either break through on the biggest stage of league football or young guns who shine bright despite the spotlight. This season, a few players stood out while some established themselves in the league.
Abia Warriors goalkeeper Johnson Nmecha was a force in goal for the Umuahia side. In Ikenne, Sodiq Ismail finally proved his potential and earned a call-up to the Super Eagles, and youngster Ahmed Akinyele is a contender for rookie of the season.
Kazeem Ogunleye was instrumental in Ranger’s midfield, while Kenneth Igboke earned recognition from national selectors. Enyimba had Eze Ekwutoziam and Chibueze Izuogu shining bright and breaking out.
In Kano, Yusuf Abdullahi’s five-goal haul against Gombe United put him in the limelight.
The recently concluded season will be remembered for the exciting football it brought, as well as Rangers winning the title with a game to spare.
