One point separate leaders Rivers United and Plateau United at the top of the table and both are set to hold on to their positions tomorrow when they play teams on the lower rungs as the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) approaches the mid-season.
Rivers, who braved the odds to win 1-0 away at Kano Pillars, will seek for their 11th victory of the season and fourth successive win when they face 12th-placed 3SC who were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Rangers last Wednesday.
The Stars are poor travellers, having garnered just four points on the road this season and are expected to fall to the superior firepower of their host who have scored 25 goals this season.
Another subplot is that league leading goalscorer Ishaq Rafiu with 10 goals was previously on the books of 3SC and he would be combining with Nyima Nwagua, who scored the lone goal against his own former team Kano Pillars on Wednesday, to wreak havoc on his ex-employers.
At the Jos Stadium, coach Fidelis Ilechukwu will hope to lead the Coal Miners to another victory having remained unbeaten in their last eight games home and away. The last time Plateau United lost was on January 23 when they fell 2-1 to neighbours Wikki Tourists and that rich vein of form as seen them rise to second on the table, creating a wide 8-point gap between them and former leaders Remo Stars who have now slid into third place.
Reno will host Sunshine Stars in Ikenne while Wikki Tourists will be at home to Lobi Stars of Makurdi. In Lagos, MFM will face visitors Kwara United while Kano Pillars continue their uninspiring run with a home game against the Solid Miners from Nasarawa.
Akwa United are guests of Abia Warriors while city mates Dakkada will be at the Uyo Stadium to welcome Enyimba of Aba to round off Matchday 17 encounters. Earlier on Saturday, Rangers defeated Gombe United 1-0 while Heartland also won with the same margin over Niger Tornadoes.
