Former CAF Champions League top scorer, Mfon Udoh, believes Akwa United still have a chance to avoid relegation from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) as they head into the final match of the 2024/2025 season.
Akwa United, who sit in 18th place with 44 points from 37 matches, face Heartland FC in a must-win game in Owerri on Sunday, May 25. The team secured a 2-0 home win over Bayelsa United on matchday 37, but still need other results to go their way to stay in the top division.
Speaking about the team’s survival hopes In an exclusive chat with SportsRations’ Nsikakabasi Akpan, Mfon Udoh said:
“For me, impossibility is nothing. They still have a chance to survive. But what they’re trying to do now is what they should’ve done much earlier. It’s like chasing a black goat at midnight – difficult, but not impossible. They need to take the bull by the horns because it’s their last and only chance. Their attitude, determination, hunger, and approach to the game will decide their fate.”
If Akwa United fail to escape relegation, Mfon Udoh urged the team to stay positive.
“If they go down, they need to pick themselves up and prepare for the NNL. They can take motivation from what happened to Kano Pillars. They were relegated and came back the next season. If Pillars could do it, Akwa United can too.”
Despite their recent win, Akwa United’s fate is no longer in their hands. Sunshine Stars’ loss to Niger Tornadoes means multiple teams are still in danger of relegation. The final-day fixtures will decide which two clubs will join already-relegated Lobi Stars and Sunshine Stars in the Nigeria National League.
Akwa United’s hopes rely on beating Heartland FC and hoping that Sunshine Stars avoid defeat against El-Kanemi Warriors in Maiduguri, and that Kano Pillars win away to Niger Tornadoes in Kaduna. However, wins for El-Kanemi and Tornadoes would make the result in Owerri meaningless and confirm the relegation of both Heartland and Akwa United.
In their last match, Akwa United defeated Bayelsa United 2-0 in Uyo, thanks to a penalty by centre-back Endurance Ebedebiri and a stoppage-time finish by forward Osoba Kabir. The goals took their season tallies to five and six respectively.
The Promise Keepers, who were NPFL champions in 2021, have now managed 12 wins, 8 draws, and 17 losses this season. They will be looking to end the season strongly with only their second away win of the campaign.
Mfon Udoh, who still holds the record for the most goals scored in a single NPFL season, was the top scorer in the 2016 CAF Champions League with nine goals, all scored during the group stage. He is also the first player to score over 35 goals in two straight seasons in Nigerian football.
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