Nigeria Premier Football League
Season2023–24
Dates30 September 2023 - 9 June 2024
PromotedHeartland
Kano Pillars
Sporting Lagos
Katsina United
Matches played164
Goals scored329 (2.01 per match)
Top goalscorerSikiru Alimi
(11 goals)
Biggest away winGombe United 0–3 Doma United (5 November 2023)
Gombe United 2–5 Kano Pillars (3 December 2023)
Highest scoringBayelsa United 5–3 Akwa United
(30 September 2023)
Longest winning run4 teams (3 matches)
Longest unbeaten runDoma United (9 matches)
Longest winless runHeartland (11 matches)
Longest losing runBayelsa United, Enugu Rangers & Gombe United (3 matches)
2024–25 →
All statistics correct as of 7 January 2024.

The 2023–24 Nigeria Premier Football League is the 53rd season of Nigeria's top-flight association football, the 34th since attaining professionalism and the first under the current name.[1] The season commenced on 30 September 2023 after initial delays.[2][3] Enyimba are the defending champions, after finishing top of the Championship round at the previous season;[4] having won their 9th title the previous season, they can become the first Nigerian football club to win ten titles.

This season sees the Interim Management Committee (IMC) entering into a partnership with technology firm GTI Investment, Propel Sports Africa and MTN to sponsor the league, with an exclusive broadcast right that shall cover eight live games every weekend and 300 throughout the season.[5] Thus, this makes the NPFL the first African football league to deploy artificial intelligence at games.[6]

This season also sees an increase of N50 million in prize money for the champions.[3]

Teams

Twenty teams are competing in the league – the top sixteen teams from the previous season and the four teams promoted from the Nigeria National League. The promoted teams are Heartland, Sporting Lagos, Kano Pillars and Katsina United. This is Sporting Lagos's first season in the Nigeria Professional Football League. With their promotion, Sporting Lagos will become the first team to have been promoted after the first season of their creation. Heartland, Katsina United and Kano Pillars also returned to the top-flight after getting relegated two seasons ago. They will replace Wikki Tourists, Nasarawa United, El-Kanemi Warriors and Dakkada, who were relegated to the Nigeria National League.

Teams information

Team Location Stadium Capacity
Abia Warriors Umuahia Umuahia Township Stadium 5,000
Akwa United Uyo Godswill Akpabio Stadium 30,000
Bayelsa United Yenagoa Samson Siasia Stadium 5,000
Bendel Insurance Benin City Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium 12,000
Doma United Gombe Pantami Stadium 12,000
Enugu Rangers Enugu Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium 22,000
Enyimba Aba Enyimba International Stadium 16,000
Gombe United Gombe Pantami Stadium 12,000
Heartland Owerri Dan Anyiam Stadium 10,000
Kwara United Ilorin Kwara State Stadium 18,000
Kano Pillars Kano Sani Abacha Stadium 16,000
Katsina United Katsina Muhammadu Dikko Stadium 35,000
Lobi Stars Makurdi Lafia Township Stadium[7] 10,000
Niger Tornadoes Minna Ahmadu Bello Stadium[8] 16,000
Plateau United Jos New Jos Stadium 60,000
Remo Stars Ikenne Remo Stars Stadium 5,000
Rivers United Port Harcourt Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium 40,000
Shooting Stars Ibadan Adamasingba Stadium 10,000
Sporting Lagos Lagos Onikan Stadium 10,000
Sunshine Stars Akure Akure Township Stadium 5,000

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Remo Stars 17 10 2 5 25 14 +11 32 Qualification for the Champions League
2 Lobi Stars 17 10 2 5 20 14 +6 32
3 Doma United 17 9 4 4 16 9 +7 31 Qualification for the Confederation Cup
4 Enyimba 15 9 2 4 16 11 +5 29
5 Kano Pillars 17 9 1 7 19 17 +2 28
6 Bendel Insurance 17 7 6 4 13 8 +5 27
7 Plateau United 16 8 1 7 20 15 +5 25
8 Abia Warriors 17 7 2 8 20 23 −3 23
9 Enugu Rangers 17 7 4 6 23 18 +5 25
10 Shooting Stars 16 6 4 6 18 19 −1 22
11 Sunshine Stars 17 5 6 6 17 18 −1 21
12 Katsina United 16 5 5 6 11 13 −2 20
13 Gombe United 17 6 2 9 14 25 −11 20
14 Kwara United 17 4 7 6 14 17 −3 19
15 Niger Tornadoes 17 5 4 8 12 17 −5 19
16 Akwa United 17 4 6 7 14 17 −3 18
17 Rivers United 12 4 5 3 11 8 +3 17 Relegation to the National League
18 Sporting Lagos 16 4 5 7 13 15 −2 17
19 Heartland 17 3 7 7 15 20 −5 16
20 Bayelsa United 17 3 5 9 20 31 −11 14
Updated to match(es) played on 7 January 2024. Source: NPFL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored

Results

Home \ Away ABW AKW BAY BEN DOM ENU ENY GOM HEA KAN KAT KWA LOB NIG PLA REM RIV 3SC SPL SUN
Abia Warriors 1–0 3–1 1–0 1–0 2–1 1–0 3–2 1–1
Akwa United 3–1 1–0 1–1 1–0 0–0 3–2 0–0 0–0 0–0
Bayelsa United 2–2 5–3 2–0 1–2 2–1 1–2 1–2 1–1
Bendel Insurance 1–0 0–0 2–0 2–2 1–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–0
Doma United 1–0 2–0 0–0 1–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–0 1–0
Enugu Rangers 2–1 2–0 4–1 0–0 2–1 2–0 2–0
Enyimba 2–1 3–2 2–1 1–1 1–0 1–0 0–1 2–0 1–0
Gombe United 1–0 0–3 2–0 2–0 2–5 1–0 1–0 1–0 1–1
Heartland 1–0 2–2 1–0 0–1 1–1 2–2 3–1 1–1
Kano Pillars 1–0 3–0 0–0 1–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 1–0
Katsina United 1–0 1–1 1–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 3–2
Kwara United 1–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–0 2–1 1–1 2–1
Lobi Stars 2–0 2–1 2–1 1–0 1–0 2–1 1–0 3–2
Niger Tornadoes 1–0 1–0 0–0 0–0 3–2 1–0 2–3 0–0 1–0
Plateau United 3–1 5–1 2–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 1–0
Remo Stars 0–0 2–1 4–0 2–0 2–0 1–0 3–0 2–1 2–0
Rivers United 2–1 2–0 1–1 0–0 1–0 2–0 1–1
Shooting Stars 1–0 3–1 2–1 0–0 1–0 1–1 4–1 2–1
Sporting Lagos 1–1 0–0 2–0 1–1 3–0 1–0 2–1
Sunshine Stars 2–1 2–0 2–2 1–1 1–1 1–0 1–0 1–0
Updated to match(es) played on 7 January 2024. Source: NPFL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Positions by round

To preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for round 7, but then played between rounds 8 and 9, it will be added to the standings for round 8.

Team ╲ Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829
Abia Warriors51231058591278898888
Akwa United1918202020161718171817181617181916
Bayelsa United16131911171919181919201720192020
Bendel Insurance1031591377686757476
Doma United1448141618124132323233
Enugu Rangers37231323569121210999
Enyimba1120141818191617854545544
Gombe United209156461115141616171415121413
Heartland817191719202020202020192018201719
Kano Pillars161118914510813137486765
Katsina United61312138151411111214151611151112
Kwara United171411121112151416911131314111214
Lobi Stars92726211213232322
Niger Tornadoes181516712151816191718161919161815
Plateau United151017813786710121064657
Remo Stars125513142421111111
Rivers United13199151010912101515151816171617
Shooting Stars416442435345679101310
Sporting Lagos21611796109141091012141518
Sunshine Stars78101617141313151113111111131011
Leader
Champions League
Confederation Cup
Relegation to Nigeria National League
Updated to match(es) played on 7 January 2024. Source: World Football

Statistics

Top scorers

As of 7 January 2024
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Nigeria Sikiru Alimi Remo Stars 11
2 Nigeria Robert Mizo Bayelsa United 10
3 Nigeria Albert Hilary Plateau United 8
4 Nigeria Hashiri Usman Niger Tornadoes 6
5 Nigeria Yusuf Abdullahi Kano Pillars 5
Nigeria Jonathan Alukwu Sporting Lagos
Nigeria Chijioke Mbaoma Enyimba
Nigeria Kareem Ademola Shooting Stars
Nigeria Michael Olalusi Shooting Stars

Hat-tricks

Player For Against Score Date Ref(s)
Nigeria Robert Mizo Bayelsa United Akwa United 5–3 (H) 30 September 2023 [9]
Nigeria Yusuf Abdullahi5 Kano Pillars Gombe United 5–2 (A) 3 December 2023 [10]
Nigeria Albert Hilary Plateau United Bayelsa United 5–1 (H) 17 December 2023 [11]
Notes

5 Player scored 5 goals
(H) – Home team
(A) – Away team

Monthly Awards

Month Player of the Month Manager of the Month Ref.
Player Club Manager Club
September/October Nigeria Robert Mizo Bayelsa United Nigeria Daniel Ogunmodede Remo Stars
November Nigeria Kingdom Osayi Doma United Nigeria Akinade Onigbinde Doma United

References

  1. ↑ "NFF approves NPFL name change". Dailypost.ng. 10 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "2023–24 NPFL season finally set to begin on September 30 after delays". National Trial Online. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 "NPFL announces September 30 kick off date, N150 million prize money for champions". Prime Business Africa. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "NPFL: Enyimba Draw With Rivers Utd To Win Record Ninth Title – Channels Television".
  5. ↑ "MTN to co-sponsor Nigerian football league with GTI, Propel Sports Africa". Premium Times Nigeria. 20 September 2023.
  6. ↑ "GTI unveils AI cameras for NPFL coverage". The Punch. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Lobi Stars home stadium wasn't approved, so they play in their adopted home in Lafia
  8. ↑ Niger Tornadoes home stadium wasn't approved, so they play in their adopted home in Kaduna
  9. ↑ "Mizo hat-trick as goals rain flood Yenagoa". Punchng.com. 1 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "Kano Pillars Yusuf nets 5 goals, secures win against Gombe United". leadership.ng. 3 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "NPFL: Plateau's Hilary bags hat-trick in Bayelsa rout". Punchng.com. 18 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Ogunmodede, Mizo scoop NPFL awards". Punchng.com. 12 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "NPFL 24:Doma United duo Onigbinde, Osayi scoop monthly awards". Royaltimes. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.