NPFL Matchday 8 sends league leaders Rangers International to Kano to face Barau FC on Sunday, 11 October, while Rivers United, a point behind and still the only unbeaten side in the division, take on Abia Warriors the same afternoon. The round opens with Katsina United against Enyimba, which the official NPFL fixture list now places on Friday, 9 October, and Ikorodu City host Kwara United at Onikan on Saturday.
Every Sunday game kicks off at 4pm. It’s the last full round before Rangers switch focus to the CAF Champions League tie against MC Alger, whose first legs are scheduled for 16 to 18 October, so the Flying Antelopes will want to go into that week with their lead intact.
Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October 2026
- Katsina United4:00pmEnyimba
- Ikorodu City4:00pmKwara United
- Barau FC4:00pmRangers
- Abia Warriors4:00pmRivers United
- Plateau United4:00pmKano Pillars
- Sporting Lagos4:00pmBendel Insurance
- Nasarawa United4:00pmDoma United
- Warri Wolves4:00pmInter Lagos
- Kun Khalifat4:00pmShooting Stars
- Ranchers Bees4:00pmNiger Tornadoes
Barau need a reaction after Benin, and Rangers are the worst possible visitors
Barau went into Matchday 7 without a league defeat and left Benin City with a 4-1 loss to Bendel Insurance that dropped them to fourth on 12 points. They’ve scored 10 goals in seven games, but conceding four in one afternoon will worry a side that had looked well organised up to that point. Home form in Kano is now the platform they’ll have to rebuild on.
Rangers come in on the back of a 3-1 Oriental derby win over Abia Warriors in Awka, with Godwin Obaje, Chidiebere Nwobodo and Akorode Daniel on target. They’ve won five of seven and sit on 16 points, and a win in Kano would put seven points between them and Barau going into their continental week. A defeat, on the other hand, would hand the lead straight to Rivers United if Finidi George’s side win in Aba.
Can Abia Warriors find a way past the league’s tightest defence?
Rivers United have conceded only twice in seven league games and haven’t lost yet, and their 2-0 win over Ikorodu City last weekend was another controlled display. Abia Warriors are 14th on eight points and have conceded 11, so they face a quick turnaround after the derby defeat to Rangers. The fixture also has a local edge, since Abia host it at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba.
Enyimba chase a third straight win as Katsina carry off-field trouble
Enyimba’s 4-2 win over Shooting Stars and 2-0 victory against Plateau United have lifted them to 15th on seven points, and the nine-time champions now get the first game of the round. Katsina United are 11th on nine points after a 1-1 draw with Inter Lagos, but they go into the match under the cloud of a FIFA registration ban threat over money owed to former coach Bulus. Another Enyimba win would take them above their hosts and well clear of the bottom four.
Inter Lagos start the climb from two points
The bottom of the table changed after the weekend, when Inter Lagos were docked three points and three goals over the assault on match officials after their draw with Katsina. They’re now last on two points and travel to Warri Wolves, who are 18th and have scored only three goals all season. Kun Khalifat, 19th on five points with 14 goals conceded, host a Shooting Stars side that sits 17th but has a game in hand.
Elsewhere, third-placed Doma United visit Nasarawa United in Lafia, sixth-placed Plateau United host an unbeaten Kano Pillars side in Jos, and Bendel Insurance, joint top scorers with 13 goals, go to Onikan to face Sporting Lagos. The standings below are taken from the official NPFL table and already include the Inter Lagos deduction.
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rangers | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 16 |
| 2 | Rivers United | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 2 | +11 | 15 |
| 3 | Doma United | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 13 |
| 4 | Barau FC | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 12 |
| 5 | Bendel Insurance | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 12 |
| 6 | Plateau United | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 11 |
| 7 | Kano Pillars | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 10 |
| 8 | Kwara United | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 10 |
| 9 | Ikorodu City | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 9 |
| 10 | Sporting Lagos | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 9 |
| 11 | Katsina United | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 9 |
| 12 | Niger Tornadoes | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 8 |
| 13 | Nasarawa United | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 8 |
| 14 | Abia Warriors | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 8 |
| 15 | Enyimba | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 7 |
| 16 | Ranchers Bees | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 7 |
| 17 | Shooting Stars | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 7 |
| 18 | Warri Wolves | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 7 |
| 19 | Kun Khalifat | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 5 |
| 20 | Inter Lagos | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 10 | -9 | 2 |
CAF Champions LeagueConfederation CupRelegation
Includes the three-point and three-goal deduction applied to Inter Lagos. Kano Pillars and Shooting Stars have played six games.
Only seven points separate Rivers United in second from Abia Warriors in 14th, so a good weekend can move a club several places in either direction. You can catch up on how the last round played out in our NPFL Matchday 7 results, and the league returns the following week with Friday night football from 16 October.
