NPFL: Rangers stay top after late Barau draw as Plateau United thrash Pillars
Chidiebere Nwobodo's stoppage-time goal earned Rangers a 2-2 draw in Kano and kept them a point clear of Rivers United after Matchday 8 of the NPFL.
By John Christian Mmaduabuchi, Chief Editor
· 3 min read · Kano
- Rangers International drew 2-2 with Barau FC in Kano on Sunday, 11 October 2026, thanks to Chidiebere Nwobodo's stoppage-time equaliser.
- Rangers lead the NPFL on 17 points after eight games, one ahead of unbeaten Rivers United, who drew 0-0 at Abia Warriors.
- Plateau United beat Kano Pillars 4-0 in Jos to move third, while Enyimba are 19th after losing 4-2 at Katsina United on Friday, 9 October.
The gist in 30 seconds
- Rangers International drew 2-2 with Barau FC in Kano on Sunday, 11 October 2026, thanks to Chidiebere Nwobodo's stoppage-time equaliser.
- Rangers lead the NPFL on 17 points after eight games, one ahead of unbeaten Rivers United, who drew 0-0 at Abia Warriors.
- Plateau United beat Kano Pillars 4-0 in Jos to move third, while Enyimba are 19th after losing 4-2 at Katsina United on Friday, 9 October.
Rangers International stayed top of the NPFL after Chidiebere Nwobodo’s stoppage-time goal earned them a 2-2 draw with Barau FC at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Sunday, 11 October 2026, the league reported.
The point leaves the defending champions on 17 points from eight games, one ahead of Rivers United, who were held 0-0 by Abia Warriors, according to the official NPFL table. Rivers United are still unbeaten this season, the league said, so the title race at the top is already tight.
How did Rangers rescue a point in Kano?
Rangers led through Ifeanyi Okechukwu in the 38th minute. Barau turned the game around with two second-half penalties, from Joseph Atule in the 56th minute and Aliyu Sugau in the 68th, before Nwobodo equalised in stoppage time, the NPFL and Premium Times reported. Complete Sports also described Nwobodo’s goal as a stoppage-time equaliser.
Barau are fourth on 13 points, level with Doma United, the official table shows.
How did Plateau United beat Kano Pillars?
Plateau United produced the biggest win of the round, beating Kano Pillars 4-0 at the New Jos Stadium. Paul Samson scored in the third minute and Ekundayo Ojo added a second on the stroke of half-time from a deflected corner, the league said. Samuel Ayanrinde made it 3-0 in the 82nd minute before Nenrot Silas scored a stoppage-time penalty, Premium Times and Daily Trust reported.
It was Pillars’ first defeat of the season, Daily Trust reported. Plateau United rose to third on 14 points, while Pillars are tenth on 11.
What else happened on Matchday 8?
- Katsina United 4-2 Enyimba: on Friday, 9 October, at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina led 3-0 after an early Enyimba own goal and strikes from Mubarak Sani and Luis Dadong. Chidera Michael and Charles Egbe pulled two back before Umar Rabiu sealed the win in the 80th minute, according to the league and Complete Sports.
- Sporting Lagos 2-1 Bendel Insurance: Kayode Oke put Bendel ahead after 18 seconds, the fastest goal of the season so far, the league said. Victor Samuel (14 minutes) and Gafar Olaniyan (22 minutes) replied for Sporting Lagos at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.
- Warri Wolves 3-1 Inter Lagos: Emmanuel Aribogba scored twice and Sabastine Uche added a late third, with John Danga scoring for Inter Lagos, the league said.
- Nasarawa United 2-0 Doma United: Sunday Dapman and Jofrank Istifanus, from the penalty spot, scored in Lafia, Premium Times reported.
- Kun Khalifat 2-0 Shooting Stars: Chukwuma Agor and Uchechukwu Onuoha scored, the league said.
- Ikorodu City 2-0 Kwara United and Ranchers Bees 0-0 Niger Tornadoes were played on Saturday, 10 October, according to the league’s results page.
Where does it leave the table?
After eight rounds, Rangers lead on 17 points, ahead of Rivers United on 16 and Plateau United on 14. Barau FC and Doma United have 13 each, the official table shows.
At the bottom, Enyimba are 19th on seven points after their fifth defeat of the season, the league said. Inter Lagos are last on two points after being docked three points and three goals.
What happens next
Matchday 9 is played next weekend. Rivers United host Barau FC on Sunday, 18 October, the league said, a chance for the second-placed side to go top if Rangers slip. Enyimba need points to climb out of the bottom four.
Sources
We checked this story against these sources. How we check
- NPFL: Plateau United thrash Kano Pillars, Rangers stay top (11 Oct 2026)
- NPFL: Abia Warriors, Rivers United share points after goalless draw (11 Oct 2026)
- NPFL: Enyimba ship in four after loss in thriller at Katsina United (9 Oct 2026)
- NPFL: Fixtures & Results and league table (accessed 12 Oct 2026)
- Premium Times: NPFL Roundup: Plateau United thrash Kano Pillars as Rangers cling to top spot (11 Oct 2026)
- Complete Sports: Euromatch NPFL: Rangers Share Spoils With Barau FC, Rivers United Maintain Unbeaten Start (11 Oct 2026)
- Complete Sports: Euromatch NPFL: Katsina United Edge Enyimba In Six-Goal Thriller (9 Oct 2026)
- Daily Trust: Plateau United end Pillars' unbeaten run with 4-0 demolition (12 Oct 2026)
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John Christian Mmaduabuchi is a Nigerian filmmaker, creative director, and media professional with extensive experience in digital storytelling, visual journalism, and contemporary media. His Journalism interests span Nigerian and African current affairs, entertainment, culture, technology, lifestyle, media, and the people shaping public conversation. With a background in film direction and documentary production, he brings a strong visual and narrative perspective to editorial work, with particular attention to context, clarity, and compelling storytelling. John is also a creative entrepreneur focused on storytelling, entertainment, culture, and digital content. His professional experience across directing, cinematography, editing, media strategy, and emerging AI technologies gives him a broad understanding of how stories are created, distributed, and consumed in the digital age. At GistMatrix, John contributes to the development and presentation of timely, engaging, and relevant stories for a contemporary audience. His approach to editorial work is grounded in accuracy, context, responsible storytelling, and a commitment to covering stories that matter.
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