By Femi Atolagbe

As the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League season nears its climax, the race to beat the drop reaches fever-pitch mode as Sunshine Stars and Akwa United both remain confined in the relegation zone after match-day 36 round of fixtures.

Embattled Sunshine Stars saw their quest to steer off relegation suffer a setback following a 1-0 defeat away to Shooting Stars at Ibadan on Wednesday.

The coach Abubakar Bala led side had held their illustrious hosts to a goalless stalemate until two minutes before time, when Ikouwem Utin converted a penalty in the 88th minute to condemn the Akure-based outfit to their 17th league loss of the campaign.

The loss means Sunshine Stars occupy the 19th position on the NPFL table with 41 points, although they take on fellow relegation battlers Niger Tornadoes next at the Akure Township stadium on Sunday.

Four points separate both Tornadoes and Sunshine Stars, with a win for either side crucial in the race to avoid the drop.

Meanwhile, Niger Tornadoes could only manage a 1-1 draw in Minna against the visiting Abia Warriors. Mohammed Hussaini had given Tornadoes the lead in the 50th minute but Emmanuel Iwu levelled for Abia Warriors later on to rescue a point in their quest for continental football next season.

Elsewhere, former champions Akwa United were beaten 1-0 by Bendel Insurance at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in what was a dent in their hopes of avoiding relegation.

Meyiwa Oritseweyinmi scored the only goal in the 55th minute to hand the Benin Arsenal all three points on offer to boost their slim chances of featuring on the continent, whilst condemning Akwa United to a 17th defeat of the season.

Newly-crowned champions Remo Stars stumbled to a 2-0 defeat away to El Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, while in the high-profile fixture of the round, Rivers United pipped Rangers International of Enugu 1-0, with Samson Obi netting the winning effort on the stroke of half-time.