Rangers International are Nigeria’s 2025/26 NPFL champions after Chidiebere Nwobodo’s brace sank Ikorodu City 2-1 in Lagos. The Flying Antelopes equal Enyimba’s all-time record of nine titles — while defending champions Remo Stars suffer the most shocking relegation in Nigerian football history.
Sunday May 24, 2026 will be remembered as one of the most dramatic afternoons in the history of the Nigeria Premier Football League. Rangers International are the 2025/26 NPFL champions after captain Chidiebere Nwobodo scored twice in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos. The Flying Antelopes finish the season on 68 points, one ahead of Rivers United, to claim a record-equalling ninth NPFL title — drawing level with Enyimba as the most decorated club in the league’s history.
Matchday 38 delivered everything Nigerian football fans could have hoped for. At the bottom of the table, relegation was confirmed for two more clubs — including defending champions Remo Stars, who suffered one of the most staggering falls from grace in the sport. El-Kanemi Warriors also went down after losing 3-0 at home to Enyimba International, meaning four clubs in total are heading to the Nigeria National League next season. All ten Matchday 38 final day results are below.
All ten NPFL Matchday 38 fixtures kicked off simultaneously at 4pm. Here are the full scores from across Nigeria:
Ikorodu City 1-2 Rangers International — Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos
Rivers United 3-0 Katsina United — Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt
Enyimba International 3-0 El-Kanemi Warriors — Enyimba International Stadium, Aba
Bendel Insurance 1-1 Remo Stars — Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City
Warri Wolves 2-1 Abia Warriors — Warri Township Stadium
Bayelsa United 4-0 Kwara United — Ox-Bow Lake Stadium, Yenagoa
Kun Khalifat 3-1 Wikki Tourists — TBA
Plateau United 1-0 Kano Pillars — New Jos Stadium
Niger Tornadoes vs Shooting Stars — Pantami Stadium, Gombe
Barau FC vs Nasarawa United — Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano
There are moments in football that define an era. Chidiebere Nwobodo’s 30th-minute strike into the bottom corner at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena was one of them. The Rangers captain picked up the ball 25 yards from goal, stepped inside his marker, and sent a low drive beyond the Ikorodu City goalkeeper to put the Flying Antelopes in front on the most important afternoon of the Nigerian football year.
Nwobodo doubled the lead in the 55th minute, pouncing on a rebound after the Ikorodu goalkeeper spilled a shot from the edge of the area. It was a moment of pure predatory instinct — exactly what champions do when the stakes are highest. Moses Ali pulled one back for Ikorodu City with three minutes remaining, setting up a tense finale, but Rangers held firm. When the full-time whistle sounded in Lagos, the scenes among the travelling Enugu faithful were extraordinary.
Rangers finish the season on 68 points. Rivers United, who beat Katsina United 3-0 in Port Harcourt in their own Matchday 38 fixture, end on 67 — one point behind, one heartbreaking step away from glory. The title stays in Enugu. Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu, who has now guided Rangers to two NPFL championships in three years, was visibly moved in his post-match interview, dedicating the title to the people of Enugu State. Nine times Nigerian champions. The record is equalled.
The 2025/26 NPFL season concludes with Rangers International at the summit with 68 points and a ninth title to their name. Rivers United are runners-up on 67 points and will feel the sting of what might have been — but their second-place finish still earns them a place in next season’s CAF Champions League qualifying rounds.
Shooting Stars S.C. secure third place to claim the CAF Confederation Cup berth, a fine achievement for the Ibadan club and a reward for their consistent performances throughout the campaign. They will represent Nigeria in continental competition for the first time in several seasons.
At the bottom, four clubs are relegated. Bayelsa United and Wikki Tourists had their fates confirmed in Matchday 37. Joining them in the Nigeria National League for 2026/27 are El-Kanemi Warriors and, most shockingly of all, Remo Stars.
The numbers seem impossible to write. Remo Stars FC, the reigning NPFL champions, are relegated. They become the first club in the history of the Nigeria Premier Football League to win the title and suffer relegation the following season. A 1-1 draw at Bendel Insurance in Benin City condemned them to 17th position with 47 points — one place and one point below the survival line.
The Ikenne club began the 2025/26 campaign as defending champions and pre-season favourites to mount a strong title challenge. Instead, they were swallowed up by an extraordinarily competitive division and could never find the consistency needed to pull clear of danger. A 1-1 draw in Benin City — where they needed to win — encapsulated their entire season: moments of quality that ultimately could not be converted into decisive results.
For the record books, this is a staggering footnote. In any other season, the story of the defending champions being relegated on the final day would dominate Nigerian sports conversation for months. On a day when Rangers were claiming a ninth title and four separate clubs were fighting for survival, even that historic achievement was competing for column inches.
El-Kanemi Warriors’ relegation was confirmed in the most painful way possible — a 3-0 home defeat to Enyimba International in Aba. For the Maiduguri club, it was a capitulation on the day they needed results most. Enyimba, who had been embroiled in their own desperate relegation fight heading into the final round, delivered a clinical and controlled performance that secured their survival while simultaneously condemning El-Kanemi.
The three goals in Aba effectively decided the fate of two clubs in a single afternoon. Enyimba survive by the narrowest of margins. El-Kanemi drop to the Nigeria National League, leaving the far north of Nigeria without representation in the top flight for the first time in years. For the Maiduguri faithful, it is a result that will take a long time to process.
Down in Warri, the Wolves needed a win and they got it — but not without a scare. Abia Warriors took a first-minute lead that briefly plunged Warri Wolves into the relegation zone. The response was characteristically direct. Chisom Orji levelled matters before half-time and then converted a second-half penalty to complete a crucial 2-1 win. Warri Wolves survive. They will play NPFL football again next season, a result that provoked genuine jubilation on the streets of the Delta State capital.
Elsewhere, Plateau United’s 1-0 win over Kano Pillars and Bayelsa United’s 4-0 routing of Kwara United completed the day’s results. Kun Khalifat defeated Wikki Tourists 3-1, a result that altered the final standings in the lower half of the table even though Wikki’s relegation had already been confirmed the previous round.
Rangers International’s attention now turns to the CAF Champions League qualifying rounds, where they will represent Nigeria as league champions. Their first qualifier is expected in August or September, giving the club a brief summer window to strengthen the squad and prepare for continental football. Rivers United join them in the CAF Champions League draw. Shooting Stars take the Confederation Cup berth.
For the relegated clubs, the immediate priority is reconstruction. Remo Stars, in particular, face enormous pressure to return to the top flight immediately — the resources and ambitions of the Ikenne club demand nothing less. El-Kanemi and Bayelsa United begin their own rebuilding processes.
Nationally, Nigerian football briefly shifts focus to the Super Eagles Unity Cup tournament in London, which begins on Tuesday May 26 with Nigeria facing Zimbabwe in the semi-finals. Several NPFL stars have been called up for the competition. For the full preview and betting tips on the Super Eagles vs Zimbabwe clash, read our Unity Cup semi-final preview.
For the best odds on the Unity Cup and all upcoming Nigerian football action, visit our guide to the best betting sites in Nigeria.
Responsible gambling: Betting should be for entertainment only. Only bet what you can afford to lose. If gambling is affecting you, contact the NLRC helpline.
Before the curtain fully falls on an extraordinary NPFL season, it is worth acknowledging the individuals who shaped it. Chidiebere Nwobodo ends the campaign as the most iconic figure — his title-winning brace in Lagos was the defining moment of the Nigerian football year. But he was part of a Rangers squad that demonstrated remarkable collective cohesion from first round to last.
At the other end of the individual awards conversation, the Golden Boot race will be settled by the official NPFL statistics, with several forwards from the leading clubs in contention. Shooting Stars’ campaign was built on solidity and organisation that belied their modest resources. Rivers United, under Finidi George, showed they are capable of genuine title challenges — and with the lessons of this near-miss absorbed, they will return with renewed hunger in 2026/27.
The 2025/26 NPFL season has been the most competitive in recent memory. From first kick to last, it delivered drama at every level. Rangers International are worthy champions — and nine-time champions at that. The history books have been written. Now the rest of Nigerian football turns to the challenge of catching them.
