The most anticipated football championship is finally here with us. It is the 2023/24 Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL), which will kick off in 20 centres across the country this weekend after many postponements.
Beginning tomorrow with eight games, the 2023/24 season promises a lot of entertaining engagements for the lovers of the game, who have waited for so long to see if Enyimba would retain the title their won last season or whether any of the new tigers, Sporting Lagos, Remo Stars, former champions, Bendel Insurance, Rivers United, Akwa United and Lobi Stars have the firepower to dethrone the Peoples Elephant.
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Since the end of the NPFL Super Eight and Valuejet pre-season tournaments, the 20 teams listed for the battle for Nigeria’s biggest football diadem have been engaged in various preparatory events ahead of the championship.
With the prize money for this season’s winners increased from N100 million to N150 million, the clubs have an added incentive to aspire to be the best at the end of the competition.
With the Nigerian Premier League (NPL) board having jettisoned the abridged format adopted in the last two competitions, followers of the game believe that playing 38 matches would aid the eventual winners to show that they truly deserve to be named champions of Nigeria.
Debutants, Sporting Lagos, surprised many followers of the local league with the manner they overcame Enyimba, Bendel Insurance, 3SC, Rivers United and all the other veterans of the game to win the Super Eight Championship in Lagos. And so, they have the chance to prove to doubters that their victory was not a fluke.
Sporting Lagos have brought innovations to the league, including being the first team in the league’s history to sell out the season’s tickets for their home games. They play their opening game in the elite division against Gombe United.
Guardian/Adukwu William
