Nigeria Professional Football League match day 26 will hold across nine centres on Wednesday with the oriental derby in Enugu being the pick of the bunch.
Enugu Rangers vs. FC Ifeanyi Ubah
Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu comes alive whenever league champions Enugu Rangers welcome FC Ifeanyi Ubah in what promises to be an entertaining oriental derby between two sides based in the south-east.
Inconsistent Rangers are 13th on the table and they could further test the quality of an expensively-assembled Ubah team in sixth place.
Given the away team has failed to win its last two games, Rangers need to bring their A-game to this match to stand a chance of completing a hat-trick of winless runs by Ubah.
ABS FC vs. Kano Pillars
Young bloods, ABS FC welcome experienced league campaigners Kano Pillars to Ilorin. The home team in 13th place has an 83 percent winning rate on home turf this season, while Kano Pillars just about hang onto a top-half place in ninth, separated by three points from their hosts.
Enyimba vs. El Kanemi Warriors
Enyimba will cherish the prospect of improving its seventh position by moving into a top-four position when they host El Kanemi Warriors.
Second-place El Kanemi Warriors have lost some steam in the second round, winning two games in its last five outings. An added worry to their reputation as poor travellers is former striker Ibrahim Mustapha, who is now on the books of Enyimba.
Gombe United vs. Abia Warriors
Gombe United, parading the third-worst attack in the league, have their hands full as they welcome 11th-place Abia Warriors. It has been a season to forget for Gombe, who are just a spot above rock-bottom on the table. They will need Austine Oladapo to put on his scoring boots against an Abia Warriors team that hasn't recorded an away point in over three months.
MFM FC vs. Sunshine Stars
Third-place MFM FC play the first of two successive home games when they welcome relegation battlers Sunshine Stars to Lagos in a south-west derby. Akure-based Stars, who are 17th on the table, are enduring a torrid season having made three coaching changes this year. Their fortunes could be worsened by Stephen Odey, who is highly tipped to net his 16th league goal of the season against the strugglers.
Plateau United vs. Nasarawa United
Table toppers Plateau United could potentially maintain a five-point lead at the top when they host eighth-place Nasarawa United in a north-central derby. Coach Kennedy Boboye has built a well-drilled team at Plateau United, parading the best attack in the league as they aim for an unlikely maiden league title, and a win in this game would further enhance those prospects.
Remo Stars vs. Akwa United
Bottom-place Remo Stars are involved in what could be easily termed mission impossible, when they host fourth-place Akwa United on Wednesday. Time is running out for the privately-sponsored team to beat the drop this season, and against an Akwa team well poised for a continental ticket at the end of the season, a draw could be the best outcome for Stars.
Wikki Tourists vs. Lobi Stars
Still basking in the euphoria of an away draw in Nnewi in the penultimate round, relegation-threatened Wikki Tourists hosts fifth-place Lobi Stars in Bauchi. Wikki have the quality to beat the drop this season and could grind out a shocking home win against a high-flying Lobi team that often flatters to deceive on the road.