With four games to the end of the regular season in the 2022/23 abridged Nigeria Professional Football League, the worst fears of clubs before the start of the season are fast becoming realities.
Before the season eventually kicked off last January, 16 clubs kicked against the abridged league format, citing what they call ‘easy route to relegation and continental’ as their major reason, before the scores were settled for what has turned out to be a smooth running so far.
However, the scores are not even in terms of ambition as the tables have turned in favour of the least expected teams, while some of the favourites are struggling to keep their season going.
The fear of relegation is the most heightened, and from the bottom of the table in both groups, it will take a miracle to save the likes of El-Kanemi Warriors, Nasarawa United, Dakkada and Wikki Tourists from going down, while the likes of Kwara United, Bayelsa United and Enugu Rangers still have some work to do to ensure safety.
In Group A, El-Kanemi look condemned at the bottom with just nine points from 14 matches. The club’s technical crew was sacked midway through the season, after a poor run of form, which saw them win only one game in the first stanza.
Former Plateau United coach, Hamza Abara, then took over, but the fate of the club remains the same despite the gaffer’s ‘rescue mission’.
The numbers are stacked against them, and the fixtures ahead against high-flying Bendel Insurance in Benin, Enyimba in Maiduguri, Akwa United in Uyo and Plateau United at home do not look promising.
Close to the Maiduguri side are Nasarawa, who sit just a point above them in ninth place. They also have only two wins this season, while their coach, Bala Nkiyu, also walked away, leaving his assistant, Abubakar Arikya, to face the heat of the remainder of the season. After an impressive 2-2 draw against Akwa United in his first game, they were held 1-1 at home by Gombe United; a result that left Arikya skeptical about their chances of survival.
“I am not God, we will continue to play, if God has said it, we will come out,” Arikya stated, while answering questions on the chances of Nasarawa beating the drop last Saturday.
If either Nasarawa or El-Kanemi spring any resurgence, Kwara United might pay the heavy price if they don’t grab their destiny with both hands.
The Harmony Boys’ season began on the continent, but they have further capitulated on the domestic scene as well. With 13 points from 14 games, Kabiru Dogo’s side must win at least two of their remaining four matches, one of them against fellow strugglers Nasarawa. Before then, they will face Akwa United in Uyo this weekend, before hosting Plateau United in Akure. Their last game of the season will be a date with Remo Stars in Ikenne.
In Group B, there are also two teams most likely to go down, while two other teams above them only have to be cautious to avoid being dragged into the murky waters of relegation.
Wikki Tourists, who are bottom of the table, would be biting their fingers hard after a three-point deduction left them with just nine in the kitty. Their initial 12 points would have still placed them in the relegation zone, but their hopes of survival would have been brighter if they were three and two points below Bayelsa United and Enugu Rangers, who occupy the seventh and eighth positions.
With one of their last four fixtures against Rangers, they can still fancy their chances of swimming out of the relegation waters if they are also able to get results against Rivers United and Abia Warriors at home, before travelling to Jos for their last game against Lobi Stars.
Before their 1-0 win against Doma United on match-day 13, Dakkada have gone 10 consecutive games without a win and that explains why they are fighting to survive for a second consecutive season. Unlike the rest of the teams in the relegation battles, there has been no manager casualty for their poor performance.
The situations of Dakkada and Wikki Tourists, however, puts Rangers on red alert as they must get at least four points against both sides to place their destinies in their own hands.
Despite Bayelsa’s three-point deduction, they are four points above the red zone and if their current form, which has seen them score 11 goals in their last four games, is anything to go by, they are on course to remain in the league.
Above those who are struggling for survival are clubs whose expectations were to secure play-off positions but that hope is gradually turning to wishful thinking.
A good example is 3SC, whose hope of making the Top 3 is gradually fading away after impressing during pre-season.
The battle is most intense in Group A, where eight-time champions Enyimba, Akwa United, Plateau United and Remo Stars queue behind leaders Bendel Insurance, with just four points between Enyimba, who are second and fifth place Remo Stars.
Except Insurance lose all their last four fixtures, there are just two more available tickets for the four clubs behind the leaders in that group.
Remo are in the mix of the battle with consecutive potentially damaging clashes against Enyimba, Akwa United and Plateau United, before their last game against Kwara. If the Sky Blue Stars are unable to get anything from those games, they might just wave the Super 6 goodbye.
In Group B, Abia Warriors, Niger Tornadoes and Sunshine Stars have found themselves out of the Top 3, with Lobi leading the way ahead of Rivers and newly promoted Doma.
If playing against three of the contenders means having their destiny in their hands, Tornadoes also have the most to do with tricky ties against Abia, Lobi and Sunshine.
Although Sunshine have a game in hand against Rivers, it remains to be seen how many points they can accrue to brighten their chances, while Doma will also look to ride the tide and hopefully emerge as surprise contenders.
