Reviewed by Rahmon OluwoNigeria sports betting writer
Published 14 October 2026
Rangers International stayed top of the Nigeria Premier Football League on matchday 8, drawing 2-2 at Barau FC to reach 17 points from eight matches.
Rangers went in front in Kano through Ifeanyi Okechukwu in the 38th minute on Sunday 11 October. Barau FC scored twice from the penalty spot, Joseph Atule in the 56th minute and Aliyu Sugau in the 68th, and Chidiebere Nwobodo levelled for Rangers in stoppage time.
Rivers United are second on 16 points after a goalless draw at Abia Warriors. Plateau United are third on 14, Barau FC fourth on 13 and Doma United fifth on 13.
Plateau United score four in Jos
Plateau United beat Kano Pillars 4-0 at the New Jos Stadium. Paul Samson scored in the 3rd minute and Ekundayo Ojo added the second in first half stoppage time. Samuel Ayanrinde made it three in the 82nd minute and Nenrot Silas scored the fourth late in the match. Kano Pillars are tenth on 11 points.
Sporting Lagos recover against Bendel Insurance
Sporting Lagos beat Bendel Insurance 2-1 after falling behind to Kayode Oke after 18 seconds. Victor Samuel levelled in the 14th minute and Gafar Olaniyan scored in the 22nd.
Nasarawa United beat Doma United 2-0 through Sunday Dapman and Jofrank Istifanus. Katsina United beat Enyimba 4-2 on Friday 9 October, and Ikorodu City beat Kwara United 2-0 on Saturday 10 October.
Kun Khalifat beat Shooting Stars 2-0 and Warri Wolves beat Inter Lagos 3-1, both at home. Ranchers Bees and Niger Tornadoes drew 0-0 on the Saturday.
How the table reads
The twenty clubs of the top division in Nigerian football have each played eight matches. Ikorodu City are sixth, Bendel Insurance seventh, Sporting Lagos eighth and Katsina United ninth, each on 12 points. Nasarawa United are eleventh on 11, Kwara United twelfth on 10 and Warri Wolves thirteenth on 10.
Niger Tornadoes are fourteenth on 9 points and Abia Warriors fifteenth on 9. Ranchers Bees, Shooting Stars and Kun Khalifat are sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth on 8 points each, and Enyimba are nineteenth on 7.
Inter Lagos carry a deduction
Inter Lagos are twentieth on 2 points. The league docked them 3 points and three goals and fined them a total of 5.25 million naira over their matchday 7 match against Katsina United on Sunday 4 October, at which the first assistant referee was assaulted and the match officials were held for more than an hour afterwards.
Matchday 8 ran from Friday 9 October to Sunday 11 October across ten matches.
