NPFL: Top-flight league renamed, new season commences Sunday

Ayomikun Elemikan Sports 07/01/2023

The 2022/2023 season of Nigeria’s top-flight football league begins on Sunday with Akwa United facing newly promoted Bendel Insurance, as other Matchday one fixtures are postponed.

Meanwhile, the league, formerly known as the Nigeria Professional Football League has been renamed the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

Akwa United squad in their friendly versus Bayelsa United on 3 December, 2022 (Image: @AkwaUnited_fc)

Recall that organisers of the league adopted the name ‘Nigeria Professional Football League’ ahead of the 2012/2013 campaign.

Prior to that time, the league had been renamed at different times. Some of the names include Nigerian Premier League, the Nigerian Premiership, the Nigerian Premier League, the Nigerian Professional League, the Nigerian National League – First Division, and the Nigerian Football League.

As earlier noted, only one game will be played on the opening weekend. Other games for the first matchday have been postponed to the next weekend.

Information gathered by NRTC indicate the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the league’s Interim Management Committe (IMC), and Club Owners all agreed to move the rest of the Matchday one fixtures by a week. They also concurred that the Akwa United-Insurance game will go ahead on 8 January.

In a related development, the IMC secured a 200m naira sponsorship of the NPFL with partners, GTI. With the sponsorship, each of the twenty NPFL clubs is expected to receive N10 Million Naira as start-up subvention.

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Curtain-raiser – Akwa United vs Insurance

‘The Promise Keepers’ are favourites against Bendel Insurance in the first match since the NPFL was renamed. The away side are making their second appearance in the top division of Nigerian football in the last 13 years.

However, the Benin-based outfit remains one of Nigeria’s oldest football clubs. The Vipers won the Nigeria Premier League in 1973 and 1979 and have three FA Cup titles to their name.

Players of Bendel Insurance of Benin (Image: Twitter)

Their most notable continental achievement was back in 1994 when the team clinched the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup.

Some notable players to have featured for the side include Peter Odemwingie, Ambrose Vanzekin, Olubayo Adefemi (of blessed memory), Elderson Echiéjilé, Bright Omokaro and Julius Aghahowa.