The 2023/24 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season will officially resume on 30 September 2023.
#NPFL24 gets September 30 kickoff date, ₦150m prize money
— NPFL (@NigeriaPFL) September 25, 2023
The opening weekend is supposed to kickstart with 10 games across the various centres, however, two matches have been postponed as a result of continental assignment.
Bendel Insurance will tackle RS Berkane of Morocco in the second round returning leg of the CAF Confederations Cup on Friday, 29 September. As a result, their clash with NPFL defending champions Enyimba has been postponed.
Similarly, Rivers United will welcome Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso on 1 October for their second leg encounter in the second round of the CAF Confederation Cup. This has shifted their NPFL fixture with Remo Stars indefinitely.
The above postponement means that instead of 10 fixtures for Week 1, 8 matches will now kickstart the 2023/24 NPFL season.
Let's look at the incentives for the new season before we roll out the fixtures.
NPFL 2023/24 Prize money and kick-off grants
The Chief Operating Officer of the league Davidson Owumi in a letter, notified the 20 participating Clubs that the champions of the new season would receive ₦150 million which is a 50% increase from last season’s prize money.
Another highlight of the letter to the clubs is the payment of start-off grants of a total of ₦200 million to the 20 clubs.
“The 20 clubs will, as was done last season receive a take-off grant of Ten Million Naira (₦10,000,000) each to smoothen your operations as the season starts.
“We are therefore expecting the Clubs to as a matter of urgency forward their respective account details to the NPFL Secretariat for the transfer of the said amount as the season is set to commence on Saturday, September 30, 2023”, Owumi stated in the letter addressed to all Club Chairmen and General Managers.
On the prize money, the letter read; “after due deliberations by the Chairman and our Strategic Partners, it was agreed that the Prize money, since that is what connotes the true value of the league, be reviewed upwards to N150 million”.
The letter also addressed some of the Marketing concerns and assured the clubs that the NPFL Board would at all times take decisions and enter into contracts that serves the best interest of the league and the clubs.
“Be rest assured that we will at all times be guided by the very best interest of our league and by implication, the participating Clubs”, the COO explained while adding that discussions are still ongoing with a company that proposed a ten-year partnership for broadcast rights.
“We remain very hopeful that they or other prospective partners will show up since talks are still ongoing. Any success achieved, will enlarge the economic frontiers of the league and by extension the clubs as we progress”, he concluded.
NPFL Gameweek 1 fixtures
Here are the official fixtures for the NPFL week 1. Clubs will begin the fight to claim the title as they battle one another to win matches and add to their tally of total fixtures won in the league.
All matches will be played on Saturday, 30 September 2023.
- Abia Warriors vs Niger Tornadoes
- Bayelsa United vs Akwa United
- Enugu Rangers vs Doma United
- Enyimba vs Bendel Insurance (postponed)
- Heartland FC vs Lobi Stars
- Katsina United vs Kwara United
- Rivers United vs Remo Stars (postponed)
- Shooting Stars vs Plateau United
- Sporting Lagos vs Gombe United
- Sunshine Stars vs Kano Pillars
How to watch NPFL Gameweek 1 matches live
The good news for followers of the NPFL is that matches will be streamed live as the season kicks off this weekend.
You can watch the matches by downloading the NPFL Live App which is now available for download on the Play Store, subscribe and get to see your favourite club and players in action.
Over 300 matches will be available through the Live App this season.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 month ago
