Rivers United settled for a 1-1 draw with El Kanemi Warriors in their Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) encounter at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, on Sunday.
Taofeek Otaniyi cancelled Samaila Bello’s opener for the visitors but the hosts could not do further damage to the stubborn Warriors who held on for a share of the points.
Bello had put El Kanemi in the lead on 30 minutes but Otaniyi responded for Rivers United three minutes later as both teams went into the interval level.
The introduction of Seiyefa Jackson did not deter the Kanemi defence and the league leaders had to settle for a draw, snapping a two-match winning run.
Both sides remain unbeaten in the nine-week-old season so far, with Rivers United’s third draw bringing Finidi George’s side to 21 points, three more than second-placed Remo Stars.
It is however El Kanemi’s seventh of the season and the Maiduguri-based club is sixth with 13 points.
In Aba, however, Enyimba did not settle for a draw, responding to Ikorodu City’s 90th-minute equalizer with the winning goal two minutes into added time to snatch a 2-1 victory.
The People’s Elephants took the lead in six minutes through Ifeanyi Ihemekwele’s third strike of the season but the Oga Boys waited until the final minute to restore parity to seemingly preserve their three-match unbeaten run.
Moses Adikwu’s goal sealed all three points for Enyimba, securing their first league win in four matches.
Remo Stars also suffered a third consecutive defeat on the road at Heartland FC, with Afolayan Peters’ 71st-minute strike the difference as coach Daniel Ogunmodede and his Ijaball philosophy failed to spark the Ikenne side to life against Emmanuel Amuneke’s side who earned only their second league win of the season.
