Race for NPFL Title narrows down to Enyimba and others

As the 2014/2015 Glo Premier League season reaches the home stretch, it is becoming increasingly likely that there will be a new winner of the diadem this season. This is apparently so because reigning Champions, Kano Pillars are eleven points adrift of current table toppers Enyimba with just eight matches left and this, by Nigerian league standards can be quite an unassailable gap to bridge.

At this stage last season, Kano Pillars were on 50 points and held a 3-point advantage over Nasarawa United on 47 points while Wolves were on 46 points and Enyimba, the eventual runners up were five points behind on 45 points. Pillars would eventually hold on to their points advantage and could even afford to lose to Enyimba in their final league game of the season having mathematically wrapped up the title with a Match Day 37 home win over Nembe City.
Back to the present and after 30 round of matches, four teams have reached the 50-point mark and this can easily lead to some postulations that these four teams are the ones with real or outside chances of laying their hands or perhaps kissing the trophy on November 15. The four front runners thus are the top four placed teams on the log: Enyimba, Warri Wolves, Wikki Tourists and Sunshine Stars respectively.
Two-time African Champions Enyimba FC are not only the favourites to win their first league title in five years, they have their destiny in their own hands. Boasting of a commanding 4-point cushion at this stage, their rivals will be hoping to secure good results of their own but must also pray that an unimaginable tendency of carelessness engulfs the Aba Lords. In fact, Enyimba's task can be as straightforward as this: Win all your home games and you may be guaranteed Champions.
Wins for Enyimba in their remaining four games in Aba will include the ones against closest challengers Wikki Tourists (this Sunday) and Warri Wolves. That invariably means that while getting maximum points for themselves, they are also moving further clear ahead of their rivals. What more to say? Enyimba's final game of the season is against the other title challengers Sunshine Stars in Akure. Clearly, it is Enyimba's title to lose.
Warri Wolves are placed 2nd at the moment but on paper have the most difficult of fixtures. Three of their four remaining away games will see them visit Kano Pillars (this weekend), Enugu Rangers and Enyimba while Sunshine Stars will still come to Warri. Wolves have a rich squad depth and an everflowing confidence level which has seen them mount real title assault in recent times. They will need this yet again to actualize any hopes of wrestling the title from Enyimba's hands.
Wikki Tourists of Bauchi are the little horses (using Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho's words) in this race and I am sure they are relishing the position they find themselves. For a team that just returned to elite group this January, they have overachieved and have done so in spectacular fashion. They have the second best away record and no team has won more away matches than the four they have managed. Their fixture list is not too difficult on the eye but their possibility of landing the title will be gauged when they visit Enyimba in Aba this weekend.
The manner at which Sunshine Stars plunged from their leadership position to 4th on the table within six Match Days (Matchday 24-29) left their fans bemused but the reality on ground is that, last weekend's shock win at Kwara United has left them with a very good chance of finishing 2nd. No doubt they still have difficult trips to Warri and Kano to come but the sort of belief restored by their convincing second half performance against Kwara United is one that can sustain a distant title challenge.
The troops go out yet again this weekend to continue the fight in becoming the country's best club and carry the tag for another calendar year. No doubt, the eventual winner will start taking steps towards the title in Week 31 while the pretenders will further slip away from the grid.

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