Weekend Board: NPFL Matchday 8 and the three games worth your time

Editor's note: Update, 18 October: Matchday 8 has been played. Read the full results and table. Katsina United beat Enyimba 4-2, Barau FC drew 2-2 with Rangers and Abia Warriors drew 0-0 with Rivers United.

Ten games, three days, and a table that is already starting to take shape. Rangers lead on 16 points, Rivers United are one behind and unbeaten, and there are four teams within four points of the top. If you only have time for three games this weekend, these are the ones.

All kick-off times are West Africa Time, taken from the published league schedule. Check the NPFL's official channels on matchday for late changes.

How last weekend went

Pick one: Barau FC vs Rangers International (Sunday, 4pm)

Fourth against first. Barau FC started Matchday 7 on 12 points and well placed, then lost 4-1 at Bendel Insurance. Rangers went the other way, beating Abia Warriors 3-1 to go top on 16 points.

This is exactly the kind of away game that decided last season. Rangers won the 2025/26 title by a single point over Rivers United, so a draw here is not a disaster for them, but a defeat would hand Rivers the chance to go top.

Read how Rangers won their ninth title for the background.

Pick two: Abia Warriors vs Rivers United (Sunday, 4pm)

Rivers United have the best goal difference in the league at +11 and have not lost yet. They finished one point behind Rangers last season, started this one with a 2-0 win over Plateau United and beat Ikorodu City 2-0 last weekend.

Abia Warriors are 14th on 8 points and coming off a 3-1 defeat at Rangers. A home game in Umuahia is their chance to stop the slide. For Rivers, this is the sort of fixture that separates contenders from champions: a long trip, a hungry home side and three points that everyone expects them to take.

Pick three: Katsina United vs Enyimba (Friday, 5pm)

Enyimba are 15th on 7 points. For a club that has won the CAF Champions League twice, that is not where anyone in Aba expected to be in October. Last weekend's 2-0 win over Plateau United was the first sign of a recovery.

Katsina United are 11th on 9 points and have a point to prove at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium. They held Rangers on the opening weekend until a late equaliser, and drew 1-1 at Inter Lagos last time out. A Friday night game under pressure is a proper test of whether Enyimba's win was a turning point or a one-off.

Also worth a look

• Plateau United vs Kano Pillars: Pillars are unbeaten and have a game in hand. A win in Jos would put them level with the top four.
• Nasarawa United vs Doma United: third-placed Doma have 13 points and won 1-0 against Warri Wolves last week.
• Sporting Lagos vs Bendel Insurance: Bendel scored four against Barau last weekend and sit fifth.

Next week

Matchday 9 opens on Friday 16 October, when Shooting Stars host Ranchers Bees at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan at 6pm. We will have the next Weekend Board on Thursday. All fixtures are on the Matchday hub.