NPFL Matchday One: 3SC, Rivers United, Doma United Start With Wins

NPFL Matchday One: 3SC, Rivers United, Doma United Start With Wins

By Niyi Busari 

The 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season got off to an entertaining start as clubs across the country battled for early points on Matchday One, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The opening round produced a mixture of home victories, draws and eye-catching results, with Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), Rivers United, Doma United, Ikorodu City, Bendel Insurance and Niger Tornadoes among the teams beginning the campaign with three points.

Shooting Stars set the pace on Friday by defeating newly promoted Inter Lagos 2-1 at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan. The result gave the Oluyole Warriors an ideal start to the new campaign, while Inter Lagos were handed a narrow defeat in their first-ever NPFL fixture. The league had scheduled the encounter as the season opener before the remaining nine Matchday One fixtures were played on Sunday.

There was also a winning start for Doma United, who defeated Sporting Lagos 2-0 in Gombe. The fixture brought together two clubs returning to the top flight and provided Doma United with valuable points at the start of their campaign.

In Lagos, Ikorodu City overcame fellow promoted side Ranchers Bees 3-1 to make a positive start. The result underlined the hosts' ambitions after finishing fourth in the previous campaign.

Bendel Insurance also secured three points, beating Warri Wolves 2-1 in Benin City, while Niger Tornadoes produced one of the notable results of the opening round with a 2-1 victory over nine-time champions Enyimba in Minna.

Rivers United were another side to begin the season on a winning note, defeating Plateau United 2-0 in Port Harcourt.

Elsewhere, Barau FC marked their NPFL debut with an impressive 3-1 victory over Nasarawa United, while Kwara United and Kano Pillars played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Ilorin.

Rangers, the defending champions, were held to a 1-1 draw by Katsina United in their opening fixture. The result means the champions had to settle for a point as they began their title defence.

Abia Warriors and Kun Khalifat also shared the points after a goalless draw.

Matchday One Results

- Shooting Stars 2-1 Inter Lagos

- Abia Warriors 0-0 Kun Khalifat

- Barau FC 3-1 Nasarawa United

- Bendel Insurance 2-1 Warri Wolves

- Doma United 2-0 Sporting Lagos

- Rangers 1-1 Katsina United

- Ikorodu City 3-1 Ranchers Bees

- Kwara United 2-2 Kano Pillars

- Niger Tornadoes 2-1 Enyimba

- Rivers United 2-0 Plateau United

Early talking points

3SC make strong start: The Ibadan club became the first team to record a victory in the new NPFL campaign after defeating Inter Lagos 2-1 in the season opener. The official NPFL table lists 3SC top after the opening fixture.

Promoted clubs make their mark: Barau FC and Doma United both started with victories, while Ikorodu City also defeated fellow newcomers Ranchers Bees. The 2026/27 campaign features several returning and newly promoted clubs, adding an extra dimension to the competition.

Defending champions drop points: Rangers could only draw 1-1 with Katsina United, meaning the reigning champions did not get the perfect start to their title defence.

Enyimba beaten in Minna: Niger Tornadoes' 2-1 victory over Enyimba stands out as one of the opening round's significant results, giving the hosts an early boost against one of the league's most decorated clubs.

With Matchday One now setting the tone, attention will turn to the next round as the 20-team league begins to take shape. The early results suggest another competitive campaign could be in store, with established title contenders facing challenges from ambitious clubs and returning sides.

The NPFL's official competition information confirms that the 2026/27 season is being played across 20 clubs, with Matchday One comprising 10 fixtures.