newsycanuse

NPFL: Niger Tornadoes taste sweet revenge against champions Rangers as Sunshine Stars edge 7-goal thriller

Niger

Soccer

The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) resumed from its mid-season break with one of the campaign’s biggest upsets on Saturday, January 25, 2025, Soccernet.ng reports. 

Niger Tornadoes claimed arguably their most impressive away win of the season, defeating reigning champions Rangers 2-1 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

The victory was sweet revenge for Niger Tornadoes, who had suffered a 1-0 defeat to Rangers in their final game of 2024. Bashir Usman’s strike had secured that win for the Coal Miners at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna on December 29.

Soccer NPFL: Enugu Rangers
NPFL: Rangers Int l FC players celebrating their goal during the game between Ikorodu City vs Rangers Int l FC at the Mobolaji Arena Stadium, Onikan, Lagos. Photo by IMAGO

Get Our Sports News First – Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!

Determined to repay the favour, Tornadoes opened the scoring in Enugu in the 17th minute through Ismael Ishak Saraki who bundled home from close range.

Rangers, led by Super Eagles assistant coach Fidelis Ilechukwu, responded swiftly when Collins Ugwueze equalized four minutes later, igniting the home crowd.

Soccer NPFL: Enugu Rangers
NPFL: Ikorodu City vs Rangers Int l FC at the Mobolaji Arena Stadium, Onikan, Lagos. Photo by IMAGO

Despite Rangers’ relentless search for a second goal, Niger Tornadoes held firm. Their resilience paid off in the 64th minute when Ifeanyi Okechukwu struck the winner, silencing the vociferous home supporters.

Rangers had a massive chance to level the score late on but Chiedozie Okorie fired from the spot against the crossbar after Effimi Nsi was brought down in the box.

The result is Rangers’ second consecutive home defeat following a 2-1 loss to Shooting Stars on December 22.

While these are the champions’ only defeats since October, the recent setbacks have dented their title defence. They now trail league leaders Rivers United by five points, with Rivers having played one fewer game.

⏰FT|

ITS ALL OVER HERE AND THE REVENGE MISSION IS COMPLETED

Rangers Int’l ⚪ |1-2| Niger Tornadoes #NPFL25 || #RANTOR || #MD20

— Niger Tornadoes FC (@NigerTornadoes) January 25, 2025

Earlier in the day, Nasarawa United boosted their survival hopes with a narrow 1-0 win over Katsina United.

Though still at the bottom of the table, Nasarawa’s first win in four matches takes them to 19 points, just two points shy of safety.

Elsewhere, the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne hosted a thrilling seven-goal contest as Sunshine Stars edged Ikorodu City 4-3.

Sunshine raced to a three-goal lead within 34 minutes, courtesy of strikes from Ahmadu Liman, Promise Awosanmi, and Alao Danlami.

However, Shola Adelani inspired Ikorodu City’s fightback, scoring either side of halftime to narrow the deficit to 3-2.

Danlami restored Sunshine’s two-goal cushion with his second of the game in the 74th minute, a crucial strike as Emmanuel Solomon pulled one back for Ikorodu in stoppage time.

Despite late pressure from the visitors, Sunshine Stars held firm to claim the win, climbing provisionally to 12th on the league table.

Read MoreImhonlamhen Eronmhonsele

Latest

drove

I Drove Hyundai’s Hydrogen-Fueled Nexo. It’s Perfect, Just Not for the US

0
Hyundai's new 2026 Nexo is an electric SUV that cruises for up to 450 miles and refuels at a familiar-looking pump in 5 minutes. Instead of a battery pack, the Nexo generates electricity on the go from a hydrogen tank and fuel cell. On paper, it's exactly what Americans want -- long-range, fast fill-ups, few
Entertainment

10 Years Later, One of The Best Shonen Jump Series of All Time Is Still Awaiting a Sequel

0
Written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino, D.Gray-man is one of the best series ever published in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. While the manga began serialization in 2004, it faced multiple hiatuses due to the creator’s poor health and never got the attention it deserved. In April 2018, the series moved to the quarterly magazine Jump SQ.
Entertainment

Exodus’ former studio head James Ohlen touches on why he left Archetype Entertainment: “I was running on fumes”

0
"It was hurting my health" Image credit: Archetype Entertainment Back in December of last year, despite being the head of the studio, James Ohlen left Archetype Entertainment, also leaving his role as producer on Exodus behind. It was a bit of a surprise, given that he co-founded the studio after having retired from BioWare in
Entertainment

“We will probably get some flack”: Subnautica 2 may feel polished for an early access game, but it was important for the team it...

0
No one wants another Moonbreaker Image credit: Krafton / Rock Paper Shotgun It's been more than a decade since the original Subnautica dove into early access. The deep sea survival game spent four years there as developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment added new features, biomes, and polished the whole thing up with the game's players. It

Newsletter

Don't miss

drove

I Drove Hyundai’s Hydrogen-Fueled Nexo. It’s Perfect, Just Not for the US

0
Hyundai's new 2026 Nexo is an electric SUV that cruises for up to 450 miles and refuels at a familiar-looking pump in 5 minutes. Instead of a battery pack, the Nexo generates electricity on the go from a hydrogen tank and fuel cell. On paper, it's exactly what Americans want -- long-range, fast fill-ups, few
Entertainment

10 Years Later, One of The Best Shonen Jump Series of All Time Is Still Awaiting a Sequel

0
Written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino, D.Gray-man is one of the best series ever published in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. While the manga began serialization in 2004, it faced multiple hiatuses due to the creator’s poor health and never got the attention it deserved. In April 2018, the series moved to the quarterly magazine Jump SQ.
Entertainment

Exodus’ former studio head James Ohlen touches on why he left Archetype Entertainment: “I was running on fumes”

0
"It was hurting my health" Image credit: Archetype Entertainment Back in December of last year, despite being the head of the studio, James Ohlen left Archetype Entertainment, also leaving his role as producer on Exodus behind. It was a bit of a surprise, given that he co-founded the studio after having retired from BioWare in
Entertainment

“We will probably get some flack”: Subnautica 2 may feel polished for an early access game, but it was important for the team it...

0
No one wants another Moonbreaker Image credit: Krafton / Rock Paper Shotgun It's been more than a decade since the original Subnautica dove into early access. The deep sea survival game spent four years there as developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment added new features, biomes, and polished the whole thing up with the game's players. It
Entertainment

UK games industry fundamentally misunderstood, new report calls for unified research framework

0
UKIE and entertainment charity OKRE call for industry, government, and academia to collaborate on the framework to address identified research gaps Image credit: James Newcombe UKIE and entertainment charity OKRE have developed a framework to help the UK games industry maximise its economic and social value. The Building a Unified Framework for the UK Video
newsycanusehttps://newsycanuse.com

WD sees sustainability as key business driver in an ‘AI economy’

Hard drive company WD promoted long-term operations and sustainability executive Jackie Jung to become its first chief sustainability officer in February, as it steps up sales to companies building AI data centers. Her vision: Turn sustainability into a “brand” for WD, a strategy that reduces risk for the $6 billion company (formerly known as Western
Read more

5 Business Ideas Worth Starting in 2026

If there is one thing Nigerians understand well, it is how to spot opportunity inside hardship. In 2026, that mindset will matter more than ever. The economy is tough, competition is rising, and many people are looking for smarter ways to earn, build, and survive. But even in a difficult environment, some businesses still stand
Read more

Getting a business loan now comes with a frequent flyer upside

Australian fintech Prospa has partnered with Qantas Business Rewards, letting eligible SMEs earn up to 500,000 points per loan. What’s happening: Australian fintech lender Prospa has partnered with Qantas Business Rewards to allow eligible small and medium business owners to earn up to 500,000 Qantas Points per loan when taking out a Prospa Small Business
Read more