By Amaechi Agbo

The 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) came to an end on Sunday with matchday 38 decided across ten match venues.

Former champions, Rangers International FC suffered its biggest defeat in the season as the Flying Antelopes were walloped 5-1 by their host, Shooting Stars in Ibadan while Heartland FC of Owerri returned to the Nigeria National League (NNL) after their relegation was confirmed.

The heavy defeat ensured that Shooting Stars joins Kano Pillars in the league of clubs who beat Rangers home-and-away during the season.

Rangers’ defeat in Ibadan saw their underwhelming league season came to a disastrous end on the final day of with the General Manager of the side, Amobi Ezeaku featuring for the 2024 winners.

Rangers had in the midweek lost 1-0 to Kwara United in the semi-final of the 2025 Federation Cup.

The “Oluyole Warriors” truly lived up to their moniker, securing maximum points and bragging rights over their old rivals in a performance that left the visitors reeling.

From the whistle, 3SC, under the guidance of coach Gbenga Ogunbote, wasted no time asserting their authority.

 Just two minutes into the encounter, hesitant defending from the Rangers backline allowed Sodiq Ibrahim to unleash a fierce shot from the edge of the box, flashing home to give the home side an early lead.

Despite the early setback, Rangers’ young goalkeeper Ifebuche Emmanuel put in a commendable shift, pulling off a string of splendid saves to thwart further scoring opportunities for the hungry host.

His heroics inspired his teammates, and in the 43rd minute, Rangers found a lifeline as Bashir Usman latched onto a defense-splitting pass from Daniel Onyia, blasting it past 3SC custodian Chinedu Anozie to level the score just before halftime.

However, the second half saw a renewed intensity from the Ibadan side as they continued to probe for openings, and their persistence paid off in the 51st minute when Sodiq Ibrahim bagged his second goal of the day, restoring 3SC’s lead.

What followed was a ruthless six-minute spell that completely unravelled Rangers. Adelowo Gbolagade (66th minute), Alex Aghahowa (69th minute), and Joshua Akpan (71st minute) all found the back of the net, turning a precarious lead into an unassailable 5-1 advantage.

Rangers’ coaching crew, led by Ekeh Ekenedilichukwu, attempted to stem the tide with a flurry of substitutions, introducing Godwin Obaje, Frank Uwumiro, Williams Wonah, Evans Ogbonda, and Okorie Chiedozie.

However, the damage was already done, and despite their efforts, they could not claw their way back into the match as the referee eventually brought proceedings to a close.

The heavy defeat sees Enugu Rangers conclude the NPFL 2024/2025 season in 10th position, accumulating 52 points.

On their part, Heartland FC of Owerri were relegated to the Division 2 despite defeating Akwa United 2-1 at home on Sunday. Heartland’s hope of escaping the drop was confirmed after El Kanemi Warriors defeated Sunshine Stars 1-0.

Despite the victory, both Heartland and Akwa United will now campaign in the NNL next season.

It could be recalled that Heartland were relegated in the 2023/2024 NPFL season but they bought the slot of Beyond Limits FC, a club owned by Remo Stars, after the gained promotion by winning the NNL last season.