Weekend Board: NPFL Matchday 10, Rivers United's trip to Benin and the games to watch
Rangers are away in Africa, so Rivers United have the chance to go clear at the top. Eight games, two postponements and three fixtures worth your time.
Editor's note: Saturday result: Katsina United 2-2 Plateau United. Plateau led 2-0 before Yushau Armiyau and Umar Rabiu, in stoppage time, rescued a point for Katsina. Sunday's results follow in our Matchday 10 round-up.
For once, the champions are not the story of the weekend. Rangers are in Algeria for the second leg of their CAF Champions League tie, so their league game against Sporting Lagos has been postponed. That leaves the door open for Rivers United, level with Rangers on 17 points after Matchday 9, to go top on their own. Catch up on last week in our Matchday 9 round-up.
| Day | Fixture | Venue | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 24 Oct | Katsina United vs Plateau United | Muhammadu Dikko Stadium | 4pm |
| Sun 25 Oct | Bendel Insurance vs Rivers United | Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium | 4pm |
| Sun 25 Oct | Warri Wolves vs Kano Pillars | Southern Delta University Stadium | 4pm |
| Sun 25 Oct | Barau FC vs Kwara United | Sani Abacha Stadium | 4pm |
| Sun 25 Oct | Kun Khalifat vs Inter Lagos | Enyimba Stadium, Aba | 4pm |
| Sun 25 Oct | Nasarawa United vs Enyimba | Lafia City Stadium | 4pm |
| Sun 25 Oct | Abia Warriors vs Niger Tornadoes | Enyimba Stadium, Aba | 4pm |
| Sun 25 Oct | Ikorodu City vs Shooting Stars | Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan | 4pm |
| Postponed | Sporting Lagos vs Rangers International | Onikan | CAF Champions League |
| 18 Nov | Ranchers Bees vs Doma United | To be confirmed | To be confirmed |
Pick one: Bendel Insurance vs Rivers United (Sunday, 4pm)
Rivers United are unbeaten, have the best goal difference in the league at +11 and are level on points with Rangers. They have also drawn their last two, 0-0 at Abia Warriors and 0-0 at home to Barau FC in a game that only finished on Monday morning after heavy rain.
Bendel Insurance are 10th on 12 points with a game in hand, after their Matchday 9 game against Rangers was postponed. They lost 2-1 at Sporting Lagos two weeks ago but beat Barau FC 4-1 the week before. A win in Benin City puts Rivers United top on their own. A third straight draw would start to raise questions.
Pick two: Katsina United vs Plateau United (Saturday, 4pm)
Katsina United scored four against Enyimba in this stadium on Matchday 8, then lost 1-0 at Kano Pillars. Plateau United thrashed Pillars 4-0 and then lost 3-2 at home to Sporting Lagos after leading at half-time. Both sides have been good at scoring and less good at keeping teams out. This could be the most open game of the round.
Pick three: Nasarawa United vs Enyimba (Sunday, 4pm)
Nasarawa United are fifth on 14 points after back-to-back wins over Doma United and Inter Lagos. Enyimba are 18th on eight, without a win in two and still in the relegation zone. A trip to Lafia against an in-form side is not what Enyimba need, but it is the kind of game that changes a season if they get something out of it.
The postponements
- Sporting Lagos vs Rangers International: postponed because of Rangers' CAF Champions League second leg against MC Alger. No new date has been announced.
- Ranchers Bees vs Doma United: moved to Wednesday 18 November because Ranchers Bees' adopted home ground in Kano is unavailable. Venue and kick-off time are still to be confirmed.
Live fan poll
Voting closes Thu 31 Dec, 23:59 WAT
Who wins the 2026/27 NPFL title?
From the story: Rangers' ninth title, and the NPFL race it sets up for 2026/27
Sources
- Euromatch NPFL 2026/2027: all Matchday Ten fixtures, kick-off times, dates and stadiums · Daily Sports (opens in a new tab)
- Euromatch NPFL: Ranchers Bees vs Doma United Matchday 10 fixture postponed · Africa Top Sports (opens in a new tab)
- NPFL Matchday 9: full results and updated table · NigFooty (opens in a new tab)
- NPFL fixtures and results · NPFL (opens in a new tab)
Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
Matchday Writer
Tobenna writes Naija Playbook previews, the Weekend Board and After 90 reports. He watches the NPFL as closely as he watches Europe.
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