Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State in north central Nigeria will be on fire as the two Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) teams in the state capital, lock horns in the opening week of the 2013 season.

The two clubs have established themselves as the standard bearers of Kwara football and the derby will surely determine who gets the bragging rights at least for now.

Kwara United will be looking for their first league win against the ABS in five league games, as they go into the encounter with virtually the same squad they had last season.

On the other divide, ABS have lost the duo of Andrew Abalogu and Bright Esieme to Enyimba, but managed to keep hold of the much sought after club top scorer Abdulrahman Bashir.

The two teams played out a goalless draw in the first fixture last season while ABS defeated the Afonja Warriors in the reverse fixture courtesy a Bashir solitary strike in the 83rd minute of a highly pulsating encounter that saw nine yellow cards dished out.

ABS coached by Kabir Dogo will look to do better this season after barely escaping the drop from the NPFL on the last matchday of the season. Kwara United finished sixth on the log.