In a recent review of the 2024/25 season, the Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye passed a vote of confidence in the performance of the referees and called for a sustenance of the improvement in the 2025/2026 season, which runs from 22 August 2025 to 24 May 2026.
During an interactive session with journalists, Elegbeleye said that the referees’ performance could be rated on the same scale with their counterparts globally.
‘I’ve travelled around the world and witnessed some shocking officiating decisions — something you hardly see in the NPFL. That’s why I can confidently say our referees are among the best globally’, he said.
He attributed the marked improvement as a reason thoNigerian referees appointed to continental competitions discharged their duties with high marks which has in turn opened more opportunities for their colleagues.
He cited the last CAF U-20 championship in Egypt and noted that, ‘a Nigerian referee was involved, and another has been shortlisted for the upcoming WAFCON (Women’s African Cup of Nations). This shows clear progress’.
While admitting that there was still more work to do in perfecting the system, Elegbeleye was of the opinion that continued support for training and retraining is required to sustain the gains attained so far.
He invited the media to assist in highlighting the positive performances of individual referees while also shining the light on irregularities that will keep the league on the growth trajectory.
A few days earlier, while announcing the opening and closing dates of the 2025/2026 NPFL, said that the league is determined to establish a traditional period for the competition to enable clubs, players, match officials and scouts plan their own calendar.
He recalled that the board kept to its calendar for last season, which began on 31 August2024, and concluded on 25 May 2025.
‘This is the first time in many years, perhaps since the start of the new era Nigeria Premier Football League in 2005, that a date for kick-off and ending will be faithfully implemented. That is a commitment we made and a promise delivered’, the NPFL Chairman said.
He continued by declaring that ‘today, we are also here to announce that the 2025/26 season will be commencing on 22 August 2025 and will be completed on 24 May 2026. This is to maintain a calendar we have now established from the last season’.
Elegbeleye said that the season was remarkable in the emergence of Remo Stars as the champions with three matches to spare after defeating Niger Tornadoes on Matchday 35 on 27 April.
Giving a breakdown of numbers, he noted that in 380 games, there were 286 wins and 94 were drawn with 784 goals scored.
Further breakdown shows that there were 244 home wins and 42 away wins with
Teams scored 552 goals at home and 232 were recorded by visiting teams out of which 60 were from the penalty spot. Sixteen penalties were missed out of 76 spot kicks awarded. In all 13 of the goals were own goals and four hat trick.
On disciplinary measures, the Chairman said that 1,380 yellow cards were issued while 56 expulsion were recorded.
Also in the concluded season, Nasarawa United’s Yusuf Anas topped the goal scorers’ chart with 18 goals and was followed by veteran Rabiu Ali of Kano Pillars with 13 goals, whiel Anthony Ijoma of Abia Warriors came third with 12 goals.
Elegbeleye disclosed that the NPFL screened the highest ever number of the domestic league on television with 188 games aired on Startimes, while Propel Sports Africa streamed over 200 fixtures on the =Over-the-Top viewing platform globally.
