Remo Stars kicked off their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title defence with a spirited 1-1 draw against 10-man Rivers United in a heated opening-day clash at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, Afrosport reports.
Forced to play away from their Ikenne home due to ongoing renovations, the reigning champions faced a tough test against last season’s runners-up on Friday.
Full-time in Abeokuta.#NPFL26 | #REMRIV pic.twitter.com/uSPlS4gkdT
— Remo Stars Sports Club (@RemoStarsSC) August 22, 2025
The visitors struck early, stunning the home crowd inside three minutes when Aniekeme Okon rose unmarked to head home a cross from Timothy Zechariah.
Remo Stars responded swiftly, equalling proceedings just six minutes later. Returning striker Victor Mbaoma, back in the NPFL after stints abroad, found the net with a composed finish to level the score.
However, Remo’s celebrations were short-lived as Mbaoma was stretchered off in the 18th minute after a heavy collision. This raised concerns over a potentially serious injury and the striker was replaced by Malian forward Adama Goita, who was making his competitive debut for the club.
The Sky Blue Stars nearly took the lead moments later, but Michael Ibe’s powerful free-kick was brilliantly thwarted by Rivers’ goalkeeper Osagie Onisodumeya. Samuel Anakwe continued to trouble the visitors, but Onisodumeya stood firm with two sharp saves before halftime.
Rivers thought they had regained the lead through Okon again, but the assistant referee’s flag ruled the effort out for offside.
Finidi George’s men came agonisingly close to retaking the lead on the hour mark when Remo captain Junior Nduka accidentally deflected a cross onto his own crossbar before recovering to clear. Two minutes later, Anakwe curled an effort just wide as Remo pressed for a winner.
Coach Daniel Ogunmodede introduced former Rivers midfielder Alex Oyowah to inject energy, while George also turned to his bench in search of a breakthrough.
Despite late flurries, clear chances were scarce. Anakwe missed a golden opportunity with a free header in the 77th minute, and Goita’s late strike was comfortably saved.
Tensions boiled over in stoppage time when Rivers captain Temple Emekayi was shown a straight red card for a dangerous high boot on Olamilekan Adedayo. The incident sparked a heated scuffle, with several Remo players receiving bookings, but the resulting free-kick flew harmlessly over, bringing the intense contest to a close.
