NPFL kicks off today with six matches

The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), which was initially scheduled to have begun six months earlier, will today commence across the country with six matches.

In today’s fixtures, Kwara United FC of Ilorin will tackle Sunshine Stars of Akure at the Kwara Stadium, Ilorin, while the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Football Club (MFM FC) have a mountain to climb, as they face the Peoples Elephant, Enyimba of Aba FC at the newly refurbished Enyimba International Stadium.

Nasarawa United are scheduled to kickstart their campaign as host against the Abia Warriors of Abia, as 2016/ 17 NPFL’s champions, Plateau United will play host to Ifeanyi Ubah FC of Nnewi at the new Jos Stadium, Jos.

Other openers are the duel between Kano Pillars of Kano and the Heartland of Owerri, while the Akwa United of Uyo will square up with their northern opponent, the El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club of Maiduguri.

While explaining the reasons for the postponed matches, the Chief Operating Officer of the League Management Company (LMC), Salihu Abubakar said, “the games involving the promoted clubs from the NNL are being shifted to give the clubs time to return to their respective bases and make adequate plans to play in the NPFL.

“It’s only fair that the players be allowed time to recover from the rigours of the tournament they just participated in and they would join from Matchday Two, while a new date will be announced for the postponed fixtures,” Abubakar said.

Meanwhile, the coach of MFM FC, Fidelis Ilechukwu has said that this season’s NPFL will be a fresh start for his wards as they meet Enyimba.

“Last season we lost eight players but the players we have now are young and as well new players. I know it’s going to be a little bit difficult but we will do anything possible to get a good result,” Ilechukwu stated.