Six NPFL matchday 3 fixtures land on Sunday, September 13, headlined by Barau FC hosting early pace-setters Ranchers Bees. Here’s the full schedule and our read on the card.
The NPFL matchday 3 fixtures are in, and Sunday, September 13, 2026 brings six games across the country, all kicking off at 4:00pm Nigerian time. However, four sides — Rivers United, Enugu Rangers, Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors — sit out this round because of continental commitments, so the weekend’s action is thinner than usual but still worth your attention.
Here’s every fixture on the card for Sunday, with venues confirmed by the league:
As a result of their perfect start, Ranchers Bees arrive in Kano as one of the early pace-setters after their 4-0 demolition of Abia Warriors in matchday 2. That kind of form on the road is rare in the NPFL, where travel and unfamiliar pitches usually level things out. Barau FC, meanwhile, will fancy their chances at home in front of a Sani Abacha Stadium crowd that’s historically tough to beat.
We favour a tighter contest than the scoreline suggests Ranchers Bees are capable of producing. Home advantage in Kano carries real weight, and Barau will likely sit compact early to blunt the visitors’ attacking momentum.
Niger Tornadoes host Plateau United at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in what looks, on paper, like the second-most competitive game of the round. Plateau United opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Kwara United, so they arrive with confidence. That said, Niger Tornadoes at home is never a straightforward assignment, and away sides have generally struggled to find rhythm this early in the season.
Bendel Insurance host Kun Khalifat at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium after claiming their first three points of the campaign in matchday 2. Kun Khalifat, for their part, held Barau FC to a goalless draw last time out — a sign they’re difficult to break down even if they’re not yet scoring freely. Meanwhile, Abia Warriors will want to bounce back quickly from their heavy home defeat when they travel to face Ikorodu City.
Early-season NPFL form is volatile, so we’d caution against reading too much into two-game sample sizes. That said, Ranchers Bees’ attacking output stands out, and the Barau clash looks like the pick of the round for anyone building an accumulator. As always, our approach leans on the form and matchup context rather than certainty — the NPFL has a habit of punishing anyone who assumes an outcome before kick-off.
For the latest table after this round, check our NPFL table breakdown from matchday 2, and see how the weekend’s Premier League fixtures compare in our gameweek 4 guide.
You can also follow official NPFL fixture updates directly via the Nigeria Premier Football League’s official site.
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