NPFL 2023/24: Modest triumph amid daunting challenges

Perhaps, the highest point of the ended 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season is the revelation by the league’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Davidson Owumi, that fixtures for the 2024/25 season are ready, only awaiting endorsement by the Clubs Owners Congress. Not since the Nigeria league went professional in 1990 has fixtures been talked about for a new season just when one season ended.

But as the NPFL Chairman, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, also emphasised during the ended season, improvements would be effected as events occurred while the league wore on. Swift actions also followed occurrences such that no action was delayed unnecessarily so that the league would run smoothly. It could well be said, therefore, that the ended season has been the busiest for the league administrators in recent years. It was only befitting that despite the stiff competition among the 20 clubs, league winners Enugu Rangers had their status confirmed with a game left to play.

Prior to the assumption of office of the Elegbeleye-led board two seasons ago, the chairman had expressed his commitment to ensuring a seamless operation for the league officials by ensuring upfront payment for their travel expenses and other emoluments and also to ensure their above board officiating. This practice continued in the ended season with results to show for the effort. There were hitches experienced, nonetheless, which especially called the professionalism of some match officials to question. But the matters arising were dispensed with the dispatch they deserved satisfactorily.

The erring clubs were also not spared. Consider this, for instance: Officials in the Matchday 26 fixture between host Gombe United and Akwa United were found to have been physically attacked by fans at the end of the match at the Pantami Stadium in Gombe on March 17. The NPFL, in a Summary Jurisdiction notice issued to Gombe United, said its findings included that Bright Nwosu, the Center Referee, Abdullahi Indabawa, Assistant Referee 1, Friday Abu Emeje, Asistant Referee 2, and Musa Hussainy Talle, the 4th Official, were assaulted by fans of the home club.

Gombe United was charged with breach of Rules B13.52, B13.18 and C1.1 of the NPFL Frameworks and Rules which arose from a failure to provide adequate and effective security leading to access to unauthorised persons to restricted areas, throwing of objects by their supporters to match officials and the visiting team and assault on match officials at the end of the game.

In addition to the points deduction, the NPFL also imposed a total fine of N3 million on Gombe United, made up of a million each for failure to provide adequate and effective security, for throwing objects onto the field of play and compensatory payments to the four-match officials at N250,000 each. The league body thereafter issued an order closing the Pantami Stadium to fans of Gombe United for the next three home games. This sanction against Gombe was followed by a stern warning to other clubs to ensure the safety of match officials assigned to their games or face serious consequences.

Appreciative fans across the country responded warmly to the improved administration of the league, pouring into match venues like they never did since the 1980s up till the 1990s. Several matches in the ended also season witnessed capacity crowds. But two games stood out: In Week 27 at the New Jos Stadium where Plateau United hosted Akwa United, 35,000 fans thronged the venue, making a first-time visitor think a rally by a popular politician of an equally popular political party was on display. A Week 35 matchup between host Rangers and Enyimba also saw a more than capacity crowd at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, reportedly at over 60,000. The economic dimension of crowded venues cannot be over-emphasised and this would have added a lot of pedigree to the NPFL when the league board does the season’s review.

Owumi attributed the modest feat to all stakeholders being alive to their responsibility.

“There was no way we could have achieved what we did this season if all the stakeholders were not involved. But this development has only created more challenges for us because in the coming seasons, we would have to be at our creative best. Of course, the other stakeholders too would have to be at their best for us to collectively attain the league of our dreams,” Owumi said.

The goal feast by the NPFL strikers could not have come at a better time either, with the ended season marking a significant period in goal haul. After Week 38, Chijioke Mbaoma of Enyimba was the top scorer with 17 goals, capping it with four assists. In a total of 380, 293 wins were also recorded; representing 262 home wins and 31 away wins as well as 87 draws. 851 goals were scored in all, with an average of two goals per match. A further breakdown shows 613 home goals and 238 away goals, 91 penalties, out of which 71 were converted and 20 missed, while 18 own goals were also scored. 1,421 yellow cards were issued and 49 red cards were awarded.

At the beginning of the 2023/24 season, Elegbeleye reiterated the NPFL’s resolve to push for the invitation of players from the league to the Super Eagles, a development he believed would help bolster the senior national team while rekindling competition in the camp. But by the time the season ended on June 23, only three players made the Eagles’ camp, namely goalkeeper Amas Obasogie (Insurance), Sodiq Ismail (Remo Stars) and Kenneth Igboke (Enugu Rangers). The trio joined goalkeeper Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba) who had been in the Eagles and was part of the silver-winning team in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament earlier in the year. However, only Ismail has featured in Eagles after coming on as a substitute in the World Cup 2026 qualifier against Benin Republic in Abidjan on June 10.

As modest as the foregoing feat can be described, about Elegbeleye’s ambition, more NPFL players should be blooded into the Eagles. This would serve a twin purpose of boosting the players’ career and boosting the image of the domestic league to possibly attract more sponsors. In addition, it would attract more crowds to the match venues.