Nigeria Premier League

NBBF League: Oluyole Warriors, Ebun Comets Secure Top Four Spot In Ibadan On Day 6

Ebun Comets Basketball Club of Lagos secured a spot in the top four on Day 6, in the Ibadan Centre of the Atlantic Conference playoffs organized by the Nigeria Basketball Federation.

The Coach Ayo Bakare tutored side, despite losing the fourth quarter, secured their fourth win in the playoffs with a 72-61 point victory over crowd favorites Hoops & Reads.

In the tussle tagged the game of the day, Comets came into the game refreshed having had the day off on Thursday, winning the first, second and third quarters.

Courtesy of the win on Friday morning, the former Premier League Champions top the Ibadan Centre of the Atlantic conference with 9 points and a better point advantage, having won four games and suffered one defeat in their Opening game of the season against Kwara Falcons.

Hoops and Reads have had a different campaign, having won 3 and lost 2 games.

In the second game of the day, Oluyole Warriors also picked up a ticket to the next phase of the League following a comprehensive 84-45 point victory over Invaders of Ekiti.

The Warriors dominated the game from the start, taking the first quarter, 18-17. The Oluyole Warriors widened the gap in the second quarter, adding 31 points, against Invaders’ 9. The third and fourth quarters all ended in favour of Oluyole Warrior who have now won four and lost one.

The win on Friday was enough to mathematically hand the Warriors enough points to book a place in the next phase of the league.

The invaders of Ekiti remain winless after five games and are rooted bottom on the log.

In the third game of the day, Impressions Academy recorded their second win in five games with a 57-43 point win over Ondo Raiders who have now lost five games and secured one win in six games.

The first phase of the Atlantic Conference in Ibadan will close tomorrow Saturday with three important games. Kwara Falcons will look to top the table with a win against Impressions at 8:00 a.m. The second game of the final day is between Ebun Comets and winless Invaders at 10:00 a.m., while Hoops & Reads will aspire to book a spot in the next stage with a win against Oluyole Warriors at 12:00 noon.

Nigeria Premier League

Ogunmodede reflects on Emo Stars’ win over Abia Warriors

Emo Stars technical adviser Daniel Ogunmodede admitted his side was fortunate to secure a 3-2 victory over Abia Warriors in Ikenne on Wednesday.

Abia Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the first half, with goals from Ayodele Eziekel and Anthony Ijoma. However, Emo Stars responded with three goals from Olamilekan Adebayo, Jabbar Malik, and Franck Mawuena to clinch the win.

Ogunmodede acknowledged that his team had underestimated their opponents but managed to turn things around. “The game was tense and shocking in the first half on our home ground. Not every time you will be lucky against a great team we played against,” he said in the post-match interview.

“We underestimated the qualities of our opponent, and we were punished for it. But luckily, we identified the problem and readjusted to get the victory.”

Emo Stars will now aim to build on this win as they continue their campaign

Nigeria Premier League

Kano Pillars eye maximum points in midweek showdown with Ikorodu City

Kano Pillars are determined to secure all three points in their upcoming fixture against Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The Sai Masu Gida will face Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos on Wednesday.

Usman Abdallah’s side is upbeat and focused ahead of the match, with the players in high spirits.

“Done and dusted with the shake-ups ahead of our NPFL25 Matchday 21 clash against Ikorodu City this Wednesday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos,” Kano Pillars wrote on X.

“The boys are in high spirits and determined to secure maximum points as we aim to continue our impressive run this season.”

Kano Pillars currently sit in eighth place on the league table with 28 points.

Nigeria Premier League

Brown Ideye criticizes NPFL standards, calls for major improvements

Enyimba striker Brown Ideye has expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), stating that significant improvements are needed to elevate its standard.

Ideye, who rejoined the league in December 2024 after signing for Enyimba, has made appearances in both NPFL and CAF Confederation Cup matches, scoring two goals so far.

Sharing his thoughts following Enyimba’s 2-0 defeat to Kwara United in a rescheduled matchday 16 fixture in Ilorin, Ideye voiced concerns about the league’s challenges.

“The system is getting worse; the league is not improving. I feel like we have a long way to go,” Ideye remarked during an interview.

Despite enjoying his time at Enyimba, the former West Brom striker emphasized that much remains to be addressed in the league.

“My time at Enyimba has been wonderful, but there are a lot of things in the league that need improvement and haven’t changed yet,” he added.

On the poor performances of Nigerian clubs in CAF competitions, Ideye highlighted critical areas requiring attention.

“In terms of traveling, feeding, hotel accommodations, and player relaxation — it’s all bad. Nigerians are not ready for continental competitions. We need to put our house in order before going there, instead of embarrassing ourselves.”