League Board Insists on 20 Teams Format
. Club Owners back NPFL
Kunle Adewale
In spite of the successes recorded in last season’s Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL Abridged League and the calls from several quarters for the retention of the format, the NPFL board has stated after a meeting with club owners in Abuja on Thursday that come August 26 when the new football season kicks off it would return to the 20 teams’ format.
The 2023/24 NPFL season will be played in a full format.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between the NPFL board and club owners in Abuja on Thursday night.
Recall that an abridged format was adopted for the 2022/23 season and it was hailed in many quarters for the improvement the league witnessed.
Preceeding the league opener, the draws for the 2023/24 season and the Annual General Meeting will be held on August 17, a week before the kick off date. This was revealed by the Chairman of the body Mr. Gbenga Elegbeleye. Elegbeleye, who rose from a meeting with Club owners in Abuja on Thursday night said the league which will be run full (38 matches) will kick off on August 26 with matches spread across to 27th.
He said all the clubs have signified their intention to stick to the date and were prepared to commence actions.
“They have all agreed with the date and are going back to start preparations for the new season. They are all 100 per cent ready.
“I want to thank the entire club owners under the leadership of Chief Okey Kpalukwu for the support and cooperation given us thus far, we’ve no doubt that together we will have a league that Nigerians will be proud of”, Elegbeleye stated.
Also speaking on the readiness of the clubs, the General Manager of Rivers United and spokesman of NPL Club Owners, Dr. Okey Kpalukwu said the clubs were ready for the kick off date which would run its full course of 38 matches and not abridged like last season.
Kpalukwu assured the NPFL leadership of the Club Owners support because both parties are partners in progress.
“What we as Club Owners will guarantee the NPFL board is our cooperation as long as we are seen to be important partners and major stakeholders in the NPFL. I look forward to a very successful 2023/24 NPFL season,” he said.
He explained that the League Board and Managers have been mandated to make sure the league go on as planned.
On the club’s readiness, he said most clubs were taking part in the pre-season tourneys all over the country to put their team in shape for the task ahead. “For instance, Rivers United have unveiled their players for next season so also some other clubs and this has shown that they are all ready. We have been engaged in pre-season friendlies and recruited few more players. Every team is good to go,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Club Owners have also set up various committees for the smooth running of the body. Godwin Enakhena is to head the constitution drafting ad hoc committee, assisted by Administrative Secretary of Rangers of Enugu, Ferdinand Ogwuarua as secretary and the chairman of Niger Tornadoes of Minna Engineer Ibrahim Dada as member.
Akwa United Chairman, Paul Bassey, will act as chairman of the publicity committee; Godwin Enakhena is secretary; while Kumbi Titiloye of Kwara United is a member.
Other committees are financial, with Alhaji Suleiman Umar of Doma United of Gombe as chairman, he’s to be assisted by Plateau United chairman, Habila Mutla as secretary, and Sunshine Stars of Akure chairman Honorable Tunde Ogunja is a member.
The Welfare Committee has Gombe United General Manager Alhaji Abubakar Abubakar as chairman, assisted by Heartland of Owerri General Manager Promise Nwachukwu as secretary, while the Secretary of Bendel Insurance of Benin City, Charles Ihimekpen, is a member. Enyimba are the current champions of the NPFL
