Super Eagles forward, Sadiq Umar’s bankrolled Ranchers Bees achieved a historic milestone by earning promotion to the NPFL, for the first time in 18 years, despite losing to Gombe United in their last game in Gombe.
The Kaduna-based side topped Conference D with 20 points, capping off a remarkable campaign.
Although Ranchers Bees required just a point to guarantee promotion, results elsewhere ultimately secured their position.
Jigawa Golden Stars, who were also in contention, suffered a decisive 3-0 defeat away to Kebbi United, allowing Ranchers Bees to finish at the summit.
Jigawa Golden Stars concluded the season in third place with 18 points, missing out on promotion as Ranchers Bees celebrated their long-awaited return to elite Nigerian football.
Meanwhile football fans in Gombe will now wait to fight another day before seeing their darling team Gombe United return to elite division of the country’s league.
Gombe United yeaterday failed to even retain their NNL status as they were relegated to the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO)..
The Savannah Scorpions recorded a 2-0 victory over Ranchers Bees in their final fixture of the Nigeria National League (NNL) Conference D at the Pantami Stadium.
However, the result proved insufficient to secure survival, as they finished seventh on the table with 15 points—level with Bichi FC but relegated on goal difference.
The outcome brought a difficult end to the campaign for head coach Yusuf Salihu and his squad, who had entered the final day with hopes that a win would preserve their league status.
