The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Board, has postponed the kick-off date for the 2023/2024 NPFL league season two weeks beyond the original plan.
Initially set to begin on August 26, the new league season’s start date was approved by the Club Owners Association on August 4 after discussions between the board and the association.
The decision to delay the start was made to ensure thorough preparations for a complete season, rather than a shortened one, according to an official statement from the Interim Management Committee (IMC). Earlier, there was a proposal for the upcoming season to follow a format similar to the previous one, but this idea was rejected by club owners.
The IMC also revealed that the recently introduced NPFL live app, launched just last week, has not been fully tested and utilised across all selected stadiums.
Several stadiums, including Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina, Kwara State Sports Complex in Ilorin, New Jos Township Stadium on Zaria Road, Pantami Stadium in Gombe, Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano, and Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, have already had AI cameras installed.
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Meanwhile, the draw for the new season is set to take place on Thursday, August 17, 2023, in Lagos, led by the NPFL board. The three Club Owners representatives on the league board will participate on behalf of the clubs.
The announcement also noted a scheduling clash for the four Nigerian teams participating in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup. These teams are entering the preliminary stage of the competitions this weekend.
Reigning champions Enyimba FC will be up against Libya’s Al Ahly Benghazi, Bendel Insurance will face ASO Chlef of Algeria, and Remo Stars are set to compete against Ghanaian side Medeama SC.
