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It appears the festive season has done nothing to slow down the intensity of football in the Nigerian Professional Football League. It is Matchday 12 of the current season - the first of the New Year. Every club will be keen to put up decent displays and earn favourable results.
There will be a lot of highlights on Sunday 05, 2020. All the NPFL sides are scheduled to be in action. With every fixture set to kick-off at the same time (16:00 West African Time), spectators will have plenty to follow. One of the games that many are looking forward to is the clash between Rivers United and MFM. The two sides continue their sojourn in the Nigerian top-flight this term. It remains to be seen who will outclass the other to earn a perfect start to the New Year.
Rivers United come into this fixture as the better side. Stanley Eguma’s men came out on top in their last fixture, subjecting Adamawa United to a 2-0 defeat away from home. Goals from Junior Osaghae and Malachi Ohawume sealed the much-needed victory to give the team a decent conclusion to 2019.
The Port Harcourt-based club continues with its steady progress in the NPFL. It currently ranks third on the league table, with 18 points from 11 fixtures so far. Rivers United won three of its last five games, claiming nine points in the process. It’d be exciting to see if they could get the better of their opponents to go home with all the three points on Sunday.
On the other hand, MFM enters this fixture following a goalless draw against Nassarawa United the last time out. The club failed to capitalize on their home advantage to conclude 2019 with a victory and could only settle for a point.
Daniel Olukoya Boys occupy the seventh position on the NPFL table at present. They bagged two victories, two draws and a defeat from their last five fixtures, which produced eight points in return. With just two points separating them from second-placed Lobi Stars, they will fancy their chances to move higher up the table when they clash with Rivers United on Sunday.
Rivers United vs MFM Head to Head
Rivers United and MFM haven’t had many encounters in the NPFL, because the latter just earned its first promotion to the Nigerian top-flight in 2015. Nevertheless, they’ve produced a couple of iconic matches in the past few years that fans can reflect on.
It happens to be an even affair between the two sides. They’ve met each other five times in the division, with both sides claiming two victories each and settling for a draw once. Rivers United has an average goal ratio of 1.6 goal(s) per game while MFM’s average goal(s) per game stands at 1.2. Given their recent history, we should be expecting an intense game at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium this weekend.
Rivers United vs MFM Team News
Rivers United are in a good position to fight for the NPFL title this season. They are tied with Lobi Stars at 18 points and are only three points behind Plateau United, who sit at the summit of the table. Stanley Eguma’s men are enjoying a good run, having claimed five victories and three draws from their 11 fixtures in the division so far this term.
Meanwhile, MFM also have everything to fight for. With just two points separating them from second-placed Lobi Stars, Olukoya Boys can leap from seventh to the second position on the table (That will depend on the results of other clubs, though). The team has recorded four victories and four draws from their 10 fixtures so far. Moreover, alongside Lobi Stars and Kano Pillars, they have the best defensive record in the Nigerian top-flight this term, having conceded just five goals all season.
Rivers United vs MFM Predicted XI
Rivers United Predicted XI: Darlington Ovunda, Bamba Bakari, Lookman Binuyo, Cletus Emotan, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Temple Emekayi, Nelson Esor, Isahq R.K, Osaghae Junior, Michael Stephen, Peter Ubakanma.
MFM Predicted XI: Abayomi Folarin, Adebayo Tunde, Kabir Adeniji, Elijah Akanni, Akpudje Joshua, Adikwu, Azeez Balogun, Chuks Kenedinum, Abayomi Lawal, Adeyinka Najeem, Clement Ogwu.
Rivers United vs MFM Prediction
As discussed earlier, matches between Rivers United and MFM have always been intense. The two sides have met each other on five occasions and no one has been able to earn the upper hand as they both managed two victories and settled for a draw once. Hence, we should expect this game to follow the same route.
Prediction: Rivers United 1-1 MFM
