Rangers poised to be champions
Rangers star Chimobi Chukwu
3SC vs Rangers | Sharks v Hland
Leaders Rangers are set to edge out closest rivals Pillars to
land the Nigeria league championship after 30 years without a major title.
With four weeks of action to the end of the season, MTNFootball.com analysis has shown that ‘The Flying Antelopes’ will do just enough to succeed Dolphin, who won their third league championship last season.
Rangers lead the 20-team table with 58 points, Kano Pillars are second on 55 points, Lobi have 54 points, while Enyimba are fourth on 52 points with Akwa United a point behind.
On current form, the title is a straight tussle between Rangers and Kano Pillars with the Enugu club expected to shade it by ensuring they win their two home games.
All five front runners have two homes, two away games each with Pillars enjoying the best setting going by the teams they will face on the home stretch.
Coach Baba Ganaru-led Pillars will host Dolphin this weekend and then Jigawa Golden Stars in Week 35 and 36 fixtures.
Leaders Rangers will this weekend play away to ‘Old Enemy’ 3SC, before they host Sunshine Stars in Enugu.
Enyimba will tackle Akwa United away on Sunday and then welcome Niger Tornadoes to Aba thereafter.
Pillars are expected to win their two games, while Rangers look likely to drop points at 3SC and then the leadership tussle would get even stiffer as both title chasers may now only be separated by goals difference.
The results recorded by all the teams in the Week 35 and Week 36 may well decide where the title will go at the end of the day, but it looks like fans would have to wait till the last day of the season to know the champions.
The title race will be better defined after the next two rounds of matches as by then both Pillars and Rangers will have two matches left.
Rangers visit continental ticket hunters Lobi Stars in Katsina-Ala, while Kano Pillars visit Akwa United, who are strong at home as they have only drawn twice with no loss.
Pillars too have compiled a decent record away from Kano, drawing eight games, but they still face a Herculean task in Uyo.
Rangers have won twice on the road with the last being a 1-0 win over Wikki Tourists could also win valuable points away from their home ground.
Lobi, who have won once and drawn thrice at away, will be expected to stop Rangers at home to take the title race all the way to the wire.
That result would then see them finish in third place ahead of six-time champions Enyimba and earn them a ticket to the CAF Confederation Cup next year.
Enyimba have lost too much ground to really push for their seventh championship and this has not been helped by the recent turmoil in the team after their shock exit from the Federation Cup.
With four weeks of action to the end of the season, MTNFootball.com analysis has shown that ‘The Flying Antelopes’ will do just enough to succeed Dolphin, who won their third league championship last season.
Rangers lead the 20-team table with 58 points, Kano Pillars are second on 55 points, Lobi have 54 points, while Enyimba are fourth on 52 points with Akwa United a point behind.
On current form, the title is a straight tussle between Rangers and Kano Pillars with the Enugu club expected to shade it by ensuring they win their two home games.
All five front runners have two homes, two away games each with Pillars enjoying the best setting going by the teams they will face on the home stretch.
Coach Baba Ganaru-led Pillars will host Dolphin this weekend and then Jigawa Golden Stars in Week 35 and 36 fixtures.
Leaders Rangers will this weekend play away to ‘Old Enemy’ 3SC, before they host Sunshine Stars in Enugu.
Enyimba will tackle Akwa United away on Sunday and then welcome Niger Tornadoes to Aba thereafter.
Pillars are expected to win their two games, while Rangers look likely to drop points at 3SC and then the leadership tussle would get even stiffer as both title chasers may now only be separated by goals difference.
The results recorded by all the teams in the Week 35 and Week 36 may well decide where the title will go at the end of the day, but it looks like fans would have to wait till the last day of the season to know the champions.
The title race will be better defined after the next two rounds of matches as by then both Pillars and Rangers will have two matches left.
Rangers visit continental ticket hunters Lobi Stars in Katsina-Ala, while Kano Pillars visit Akwa United, who are strong at home as they have only drawn twice with no loss.
Pillars too have compiled a decent record away from Kano, drawing eight games, but they still face a Herculean task in Uyo.
Rangers have won twice on the road with the last being a 1-0 win over Wikki Tourists could also win valuable points away from their home ground.
Lobi, who have won once and drawn thrice at away, will be expected to stop Rangers at home to take the title race all the way to the wire.
That result would then see them finish in third place ahead of six-time champions Enyimba and earn them a ticket to the CAF Confederation Cup next year.
Enyimba have lost too much ground to really push for their seventh championship and this has not been helped by the recent turmoil in the team after their shock exit from the Federation Cup.
MTNFootball.com final four weeks forecast:
RANGERS
3SC vs Rangers (A) LOSE
Rangers vs Sunshine (H) WIN
Lobi vs Rangers (A) LOSE
Rangers vs Sharks (H) WIN
TOTAL POINTS – 64 POINTS/CHAMPIONS
PILLARS
Pillars vs Dolphin (H) WIN
Pillars vs Jigawa (H) WIN
Akwa vs Pillars (A) DRAW
Sunshine vs Pillars(A) LOSE
TOTAL POINTS – 62 POINTS/SECOND
RANGERS
3SC vs Rangers (A) LOSE
Rangers vs Sunshine (H) WIN
Lobi vs Rangers (A) LOSE
Rangers vs Sharks (H) WIN
TOTAL POINTS – 64 POINTS/CHAMPIONS
PILLARS
Pillars vs Dolphin (H) WIN
Pillars vs Jigawa (H) WIN
Akwa vs Pillars (A) DRAW
Sunshine vs Pillars(A) LOSE
TOTAL POINTS – 62 POINTS/SECOND
LOBI
Lobi Vs Tornadoes (H) WIN
Dolphin vs Lobi (A) LOSE
Lobi vs Rangers (H) WIN
Kaduna vs Lobi (A) DRAW
TOTAL POINTS – 61 POINTS/THIRD
Lobi Vs Tornadoes (H) WIN
Dolphin vs Lobi (A) LOSE
Lobi vs Rangers (H) WIN
Kaduna vs Lobi (A) DRAW
TOTAL POINTS – 61 POINTS/THIRD
ENYIMBA
Akwa vs Enyimba(A) LOSE
Enyimba vs Tornadoes (H) WIN
Jigawa vs Enyimba (A)LOSE
Enyimba vs Wikki (H) WIN
TOTAL POINTS – 58 POINTS/FOURTH
Akwa vs Enyimba(A) LOSE
Enyimba vs Tornadoes (H) WIN
Jigawa vs Enyimba (A)LOSE
Enyimba vs Wikki (H) WIN
TOTAL POINTS – 58 POINTS/FOURTH
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