The 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season began with fireworks at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena, Abeokuta, as Rivers United and defending champions Remo Stars battled to a 1–1 draw in front of a buzzing crowd.
It took only three minutes for Okon Aniekeme to make history, registering the very first goal of the new NPFL season with a composed finish that stunned the hosts.
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Remo Stars, however, wasted no time in responding. Striker Victor Mbaoma leveled matters in the 9th minute, ensuring the champions settled their nerves early in the tie. Unfortunately, Mbaoma’s evening was cut short in the 21st minute due to injury, with Adama Goita coming on in his place.
The match delivered everything fans could have asked for—pace, drama, and intensity.
Michael Ibe nearly gave Remo Stars the lead in the 20th minute, but his thunderous free kick rattled the crossbar. On the stroke of halftime, Remo Stars forward Samuel Anakwe rose highest for a powerful header, only to be denied by the Rivers goalkeeper.
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In the second half, Remo Stars looked dangerous through Goita and Anakwe, who constantly tested the Rivers defense. At one point, a clever exchange between Adedayo Olamilekan and Abubakar Ibrahim opened space for Goita, but the visitors’ backline stayed resolute.
The closing stages were marked by substitutions, tactical switches, and plenty of tension. Rivers United made two double substitutions, while Remo Stars refreshed their attack late on.
In the 70th minute, Anakwe’s pass found Alex Oyowah, whose shot deflected narrowly wide for a corner. The game reached boiling point in added time when Rivers United’s Temple Emekayi was shown a red card after a reckless challenge in the 94th minute, leaving his side to finish with 10 men.
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FIFA-badged referee Bashir Salihu Fagge kept busy throughout the evening, issuing seven yellow cards and one red card in a fiercely contested clash. Rivers United ended the match not only with the first goal of the season but also with the first yellow card and the first red card of the 2025/26 campaign
The defending champions, Remo Stars, will feel they should have done more to secure maximum points, but Rivers United showed their resilience, holding on for a valuable away draw despite the late setback.
If this curtain-raiser is anything to go by, the 2025/26 NPFL season promises to be thrilling, competitive, and full of drama.
