2023–24 Nigeria Premier Football League Explained

Competition:Nigeria Premier Football League
Season:2023–24
Dates:30 September 2023 – 23 June 2024
Winners:Enugu Rangers (8th title)
Continentalcup1:Champions League
Continentalcup2:Confederation Cup
Matches:380
Total Goals:848
League Topscorer:Chijioke Mbaoma (17 goals)
Biggest Home Win:Rivers United 6–0 Gombe United (15 June 2024)
Biggest Away Win:Heartland 1–5 Plateau United (28 February 2024)
Highest Scoring:Bayelsa United 5–3 Akwa United
(30 September 2023)
Longest Wins:Enugu Rangers (5 matches)
Longest Unbeaten:Enugu Rangers (10 matches)
Longest Winless:Heartland (11 matches)
Longest Losses:Gombe United (6 matches)
Prevseason:2022–23
Nextseason:' 2024–25
Updated:23 June 2024

The 2023–24 Nigeria Premier Football League was 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 were the defending champions, after finishing top of the Championship round at the previous season.[4] On 17 June 2024, Enugu Rangers won their eighth NPFL title with a game to spare.[5]

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.[6] Thus, this makes the NPFL the first African football league to deploy artificial intelligence at games.[7]

This season also sees an increase of N50 million in prize money for the champions.Also, The NPFL secured $1 Billion Broadcast sponsorship deal with Chinese satellite provider StarTimes, for five Years.

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 became 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 replaced Wikki Tourists, Nasarawa United, El-Kanemi Warriors and Dakkada, who were relegated to the Nigeria National League.

Teams information

TeamLocationKit SupplierShirt Sponsor StadiumCapacity
Abia WarriorsUmuahiaOwuEunisellUmuahia Township Stadium
Enyimba International Stadium
5,000
Akwa UnitedUyoOwu1xBetGodswill Akpabio Stadium
Eket Stadium
30,000
18,000
Bayelsa UnitedYenagoaGDF_Samson Siasia Stadium5,000
Bendel InsuranceBenin CityFourteenSterling BankSamuel Ogbemudia Stadium12,000
Doma UnitedGombeCone Sport_Pantami Stadium12,000
Enugu RangersEnuguCone SportAfrinvest,Shopurban, Senior BarmanNnamdi Azikiwe Stadium22,000
EnyimbaAbaKKStake.com, United Nigeria AirlinesEnyimba International Stadium16,000
Gombe UnitedGombeCone Sport_Pantami Stadium12,000
HeartlandOwerri__Dan Anyiam Stadium
Awka City Stadium
10,000
Kano PillarsKanoPlayRamboSani Abacha Stadium16,000
Katsina UnitedKatsinaOwu_Muhammadu Dikko Stadium35,000
Kwara UnitedIlorinOwu_Kwara State Stadium18,000
Lobi StarsMakurdiOwu_Lafia Township Stadium10,000
Niger TornadoesMinnaCone Sport_16,000
Plateau UnitedJosKapspor_New Jos Stadium60,000
Remo StarsIkenneCone SportBet9jaRemo Stars Stadium5,000
Rivers UnitedPort HarcourtOwu_Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium40,000
Shooting StarsIbadanCone SportPeculiarAdamasingba Stadium10,000
Sporting LagosLagosUmbroKlasha, ChoplifeOnikan Stadium10,000
Sunshine StarsAkureCone Sport_Akure Township Stadium5,000

Statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Chijioke MbaomaEnyimba17
2 Sikiru AlimiRemo Stars15
3 Albert HilaryPlateau United12
Jonathan AlukwuSporting Lagos
Godwin ObajeEnugu Rangers
Hashiri UsmanNiger Tornadoes
7 Ibrahim MustaphaKano Pillars11
Sani SuleimanAkwa United
Ubong Friday
11 Robert MizoBayelsa United10
Rabiu AliKano Pillars
Michael Okoro IbeKatsina United
Christian PyagbaraShooting Stars

Hat-tricks

!Player!For!Against!Score!Date!Ref(s)
Robert MizoBayelsa UnitedAkwa United5–3 (H)30 September 2023[8]
Yusuf Abdullahi5Kano PillarsGombe United5–2 (A)3 December 2023[9]
Albert HilaryPlateau UnitedBayelsa United5–1 (H)17 December 2023[10]
Nyima NwaguaRivers UnitedDoma United3–2 (H)18 February 2024[11]
Notes5 Player scored 5 goals
(H) – Home team
(A) – Away team

Monthly awards

MonthPlayer of the MonthManager of the MonthRef.
PlayerClubManager Club
September/October Robert MizoBayelsa United Daniel OgunmodedeRemo Stars
November Kingdom OsayiDoma United Akinade OnigbindeDoma United
December Albert HilaryPlateau United Mbwas MangutPlateau United
February Ibrahim MustaphaKano Pillars Meremu OkaraBayelsa United
March Sani SuleimanAkwa United Fidelis IlechukwuEnugu Rangers
April Clinton JephtaNiger Tornadoes Gbenga OgunboteShooting Stars

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NFF approves NPFL name change. Dailypost.ng. 10 September 2023.
  2. Web site: 2023–24 NPFL season finally set to begin on September 30 after delays. National Trial Online. 4 October 2023.
  3. Web site: NPFL announces September 30 kick off date, N150 million prize money for champions. Prime Business Africa. 4 October 2023.
  4. Web site: NPFL: Enyimba Draw With Rivers Utd To Win Record Ninth Title – Channels Television.
  5. Web site: Enugu Rangers won eighth NPFL title. The Punch. 16 June 2024.
  6. Web site: MTN to co-sponsor Nigerian football league with GTI, Propel Sports Africa. Premium Times Nigeria. 20 September 2023.
  7. Web site: GTI unveils AI cameras for NPFL coverage. The Punch. 4 October 2023.
  8. Web site: Mizo hat-trick as goals rain flood Yenagoa. Punchng.com. 1 October 2023.
  9. Web site: Kano Pillars Yusuf nets 5 goals, secures win against Gombe United. leadership.ng. 3 December 2023.
  10. Web site: NPFL: Plateau's Hilary bags hat-trick in Bayelsa rout. Punchng.com. 18 December 2023.
  11. Web site: Nwagua bags hattrick in thrilling Rivers win. The Punch. 19 February 2024.