Akwa United Football Club will play in the 2024-25 Nigeria Premier Football League season after beating Rivers United 3-1 on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign to avoid the drop from the top flight league.

The match, decided at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo saw the 2021 league champions needing a win by any margin to secure their place in the league next football season and they did it in style, as they recorded their 14th victory in 2023-24 season.

Akwa United announced their intentions early into the game with some great attacking moves but all their efforts at goal were unsuccessful inside the opening six minutes.

However in the 9th minute of play, winger UBONG FRIDAY received a good pass and made his way into the box before firing a low shot into the bottom corner of the net to put his team in the lead. Seven minutes later, striker SANI SULEIMAN outpaced his marker and drove into the box before calmly placing his effort beyond the goalkeeper and into the net to double his team’s advantage.

Straight from the restart, Rivers United launched an attack and got their reward when striker NYIMA NWAGUA bulldozed his way through a crowded backline to reduce the deficit for his side. All efforts to increase the goals tally in the first half by both teams were unfruitful as they went into the break with the home side leading 2-1.

The constant pressure by Coach BABA GANARU’s team paid off five minutes from time when striker SANI SULEIMAN was brought down in the box and the referee rightly awarded a penalty.

UBONG FRIDAY stepped up and scored it beautifully to make 3-1 for his team and scored what was his 11th goal of the season.

The win over the Pride of Rivers moved Akwa United to 16th position in the table on 49 points from 38 matches comprising 14 victories, seven draws with 17 loses. They stay above Sporting Lagos, Doma United, Heartland FC and Gombe United who have all been relegated from the Nigeria Premier Football League to the Nigeria National League.