For teams in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), another season kicks off this evening, three months and 19 days after the last one ended. Unlike the 2022/23 season, which had the 20 sides divided into two sections with the top three teams in each pot battling for the title, the normal format is the top flight league is back!
Last week, NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi notified the 20 participating clubs that the champions of the season would receive N150 million, a 50 per cent increase from last season’s prize money.
A major attraction this time is the reintroduction of live games to be streamed on NPFL Live App. In partnership with flagship sponsor, MTN Nigeria as well as GTI Investment Limited, Propel Sports Africa will run live streaming of eight of the 10 matches per weekend.
To stream games on NPFL Live App, viewers will pay N300 for single match, while all eight games for the week cost N1,520 (seven-day validity) and a month pass for all eight games is N4,560 (28-day validity).
Record champions (nine titles) Enyimba were due to open their defence at home to last season’s sensation Bendel Insurance, but the Benin Arsenal played a continental game last night in Morocco which they lost 0-1 to RS Berkane to exit 2-3 aggregate in CAF Confederation Cup and miss the group phase.
The other postponed fixture is Rivers United v Remo Stars in Port Harcourt, as the home side will be hosting Burkinabe side EF Ouagadougou on Sunday in the second leg of CAF Confederation Cup’s second round. The first leg ended goalless a fortnight ago.
Having missed out last season with the relegation of MFM FC the season before, Lagos will be returning to the top flight through Sporting Lagos who will engage at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena at Onikan on Monday.
The other three returnees – Kano Pillars, Heartland and Katsina United – were, like MFM, relegated from the NPFL at the end of the 2021/22 season. Kano Pillars will be away to Sunshine Stars, Heartland host Lobi Stars, while Katsina United will welcome Kwara United to Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina.
Saturday’s fixtures: Bayelsa United v Akwa United, Rangers v Doma United, Heartland v Lobi Stars, Abia Warriors v Niger Tornadoes, Shooting Stars v Plateau United, Sunshine Stars v Kano Pillars, Katsina United v Kwara United (all 4 pm), Enyimba v Bendel Insurance, Rivers United v Remo Stars (both postponed)
Monday… Sporting Lagos v Gombe United
