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A highly-anticipated southwest derby is on the horizon for fans of the Nigerian Premier League this Sunday in Ikenne, as Remo Stars hosts the high-flying Sporting Lagos at the Remo Stars Stadium, as reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.

This matchup marks the first encounter in the NPFL between both teams, and the Sky Blue Stars have their sights set on achieving a historic league victory over Sporting Lagos. Such an outcome would bring an end to the unbeaten streak of the vociferous Lagos-based team this season.

Remo Stars, the host, is filled with confidence as they seek back-to-back league victories, which would be their third win of the campaign. They secured their first away win of the season against Bayelsa United in Yenagoa, with goals coming from Adams Olamilekan and Sikiru Alimi.

Since Sporting Lagos gained promotion to the topflight league in June, both teams have crossed paths three times, with the visitors holding the upper hand in the head-to-head record. Sporting Lagos has defeated Remo Stars twice, once in the group stage of the Naija Super8 pre-season tournament and again in the final in Lagos. The only victory for the Sky Blue Stars was during a pre-season tournament in Ikenne.

Speaking ahead of the game, goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, who was an unused substitute in their Yenagoa win, believes that another triumph against a strong contender like Sporting Lagos will keep their NPFL title aspirations alive. He stated, “We are preparing for the Sunday’s derby against Sporting Lagos, and we are aiming for another victory. It won’t be easy, but I believe we will come out on top.”

On the other hand, Sporting Lagos, led by Paul Offor, is currently winless and has struggled to score in their last two matches against Doma United and Akwa United, despite creating several scoring opportunities. They will be looking to break their poor run in the intense derby in Ikenne.

Coach Christian Obi of Heartland FC is determined to secure their first victory of the season as they host Katsina United at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri. Heartland sits 19th in the NPFL standings, having registered two draws and one loss.

Heartland’s coach, Christian Obi, expressed his optimism before the game, saying, “We do not have any reason to complain other than to ensure we beat Katsina United and record our long-awaited first win of the season.”

In another fixture, fifth-placed Shooting Stars face a challenging task as they seek their first league win away from home since April when they travel to Akwa Ibom to play against Akwa United.

Leaders Bendel Insurance aim to maintain their perfect start to the new season when they face Gombe United in their first away game at the Pantami stadium in Gombe. Insurance FC tops the table with six points and has yet to concede a goal this season.

In addition to these matches, there will also be fixtures featuring Enugu Rangers against Kwara United, Plateau United against Sunshine Stars, and Rivers United taking on Kano Pillars in a challenging away game in Kano.