Second half substitute, Olamilekan Adedayo, proved decisive for Remo Stars again, scoring a late winner in their 1-0 win over Niger Tornadoes and secured the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League title with three games to spare, The PUNCH reports.

Following Rivers United’s stumble in Kano on Friday, Remo were poised for their first taste of success in the Nigerian topflight, but they had to dig deep against a resilient Tornadoes who were also battling relegation.

The hosts got off the blocks as quickly as possible, and Alex Oyowah thought he had opened the scoring inside five minutes but his header was ruled out for offside.

Remo’s sense of urgency faded with the disallowed goal, controlling the tempo of the game slowly without posing any real threat to their visitors.

Tornadoes had their fair share of a tame chance as well but Williams Sunday couldn’t trouble Adebiyi Obassa in Remo’s goal as the game went into the break goalless.

Daniel Ogunmodede’s side resumed the second 45 minutes with renewed urgency but they still met resilient visitors who made two goal line clearances immediately to deny them.

Enaholo made a point blank save to deny a Sikiru Alimi’s header in the 61st minute and a follow up effort by Oyowah rattled the crossbar.

Five minutes later, Oyowah had another header off a Sodiq Ismail’s cross saved by Enaholo before he hit the side netting in the 75th minute after a one-two exchange with Kudus Akanni.

As the clock ticked to the 79th minute, Ogunmodede threw two of his match-winners in the title run-in, Adedayo and Samson Olasupo into the fray, with the hope of breaking down Tornadoes.

That move paid off and it took Adedayo less than five minutes to make his impact, as he fired a belter which rattled the inner side of the crossbar before crossing the line and sending the arena into cheers in celebration of Remo’s first-ever NPFL title.

The visitors protested the goal which potentially damaged their chances of moving closer to retaining their league status, but there was no denying Remo from becoming the first team from the Southwest to win the NPFL title after Julius Berger in 1991.

The win was Remo’s 21st of the season, taking them up to 69 points and they opened up an unassailable 10-point gap ahead of Rivers United in second place with three games left to play this season.

They also became the first Southwest team to win the Nigerian top-flight since Julius Berger in 1991.

For Niger Tornadoes, the remained two places above the drop zone with 44 points – just two points separating them from 17th-placed Heartland.