Lagos Derby Delayed! NPFL Announces Major Changes To Matchday 2 Fixtures

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has postponed four fixtures scheduled for Matchday 2 of the 2026/2027 season, with the highly anticipated Lagos derby between Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City among the affected matches.

The other postponed fixtures are Katsina United vs Rivers United, Enyimba vs Shooting Stars and Warri Wolves vs Enugu Rangers.

According to reports, the postponements were necessitated by a combination of venue-related issues and the involvement of Nigerian clubs in CAF inter-club competitions.

The Sporting Lagos vs Ikorodu City encounter, originally scheduled for Sunday, September 6, at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan, Lagos, has now been moved to Wednesday, September 30. The change followed the scheduling of political activities at the stadium on the original matchday. The NPFL has confirmed September 30 as the new date for the Lagos derby.

The fixture is expected to attract significant attention as both clubs look to secure their first points of the new campaign. Sporting Lagos began the season with a 2-0 defeat to Doma United, while Ikorodu City suffered a 3-1 loss to Ranchers Bees in their opening game.

Meanwhile, the Katsina United vs Rivers United encounter was postponed because Rivers United are involved in the CAF Champions League. The Port Harcourt-based club is scheduled to face FC San-Pédro of Côte d’Ivoire in the first qualifying round of the continental competition.

Enyimba’s home clash against Shooting Stars has also been postponed due to Shooting Stars’ CAF Confederation Cup commitments. The Ibadan-based side is set to face Tunisian club CS Sfaxien in the first qualifying round.

Warri Wolves vs Enugu Rangers completes the list of postponed fixtures, with Rangers also involved in CAF Champions League action against AS Sobemap of Benin Republic.

Despite the four postponements, five other Matchday 2 fixtures are scheduled to proceed on Sunday, September 6, with all matches kicking off at 4pm.

The games are Plateau United vs Kwara United, Nasarawa United vs Bendel Insurance, Kun Khalifat FC vs Barau FC, Ranchers Bees vs Abia Warriors and Kano Pillars vs Niger Tornadoes.

While Sporting Lagos vs Ikorodu City has been fixed for September 30, new dates for Katsina United vs Rivers United, Enyimba vs Shooting Stars and Warri Wolves vs Enugu Rangers are yet to be announced.