Rangers International still lead the NPFL after Matchday 7, but the weekend tightened the first part of the table rather than settling it. Rangers beat Abia Warriors 3-1 in Awka to reach 16 points from seven matches, while Rivers United's 2-0 home win over Ikorodu City took them to 15 points. Doma United are next on 13, ahead of Barau and Bendel Insurance on 12.
Bendel Insurance supplied the strongest scoreline of the round, beating previously unbeaten Barau 4-1 in Benin. The official NPFL report said Barau's unbeaten start had come to a "crushing end". That result is more than a big home win: it pulls Insurance into the group chasing the leaders and stops Barau using their early consistency to create daylight.
Elsewhere, Enyimba followed their midweek recovery with a 2-0 win over Plateau United, while Kano Pillars' 1-1 draw with Sporting Lagos left them seventh after six games. Kwara United beat Ranchers Bees 2-1, Doma United edged Warri Wolves 1-0 and Inter Lagos drew 1-1 with Katsina United. The official results board also records a goalless game between Shooting Stars and Nasarawa United.
The table is still uneven, so points-per-game context matters as much as raw position. Rivers have played one fewer match than Rangers, and Kano Pillars and Shooting Stars both have midweek fixtures to reduce their backlog. For Nigerian fans, that makes Wednesday's 3SC v Kano Pillars game at 16:00 WAT, 19:00 Yerevan, a useful bridge into Matchday 8 rather than a routine rearrangement.
Who made the clearest Matchday 7 statement: Rangers, Rivers United or Bendel Insurance?
