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Nigeria Premier League

NNL: Lafia City Stadium To Host Opening Match

The newly refurbished Lafia City stadium, in the Capital of Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria, has now been selected by the Board of the Nigeria National League(NNL) to host the opening fixture of the 2023/2024 Season.

The opening game was earlier scheduled to hold at the Uyo Township Stadium, Akwa-Ibom State, South-South Nigeria, but the latest development has seen a change of venue from Uyo to Lafia.

Subsequently, the NNL leadership has fixed Saturday 11th November, 2023, as the new kick-off date .

Moreso, the opening duel(Star match) of the day is no longer between Dakkada FC and 1472 FC of Lagos, but now between Nasarawa United(The Solid Miners) and Zamfara United(The Masu Gari)

Nasarawa United and Zamfara United are housed in Group C alongside El-Kanemi Warriors, Yobe Desert Stars, Mighty Jets, Wikki Tourists of Bauchi, last year’s Super 8 finalists, EFCC FC of Abuja, NAF FC also of Abuja and ABS of Ilorin.

Nasarawa United will be playing under a new Coach, Usman Adams, recently confirmed to be in charge after many years of serving as Assistant to the Lafia-based side, while Zamfara will start the quest for glory under veteran Coach, Alassan Mohammed.

Chief Operating Officer of the “Most Important League” in Nigeria, Dr.Ayo Abdulrahaman has admonished clubs to not only adhere to the tenets of fair play, but also play according to the stipulated NNL rules and regulations.

“The delay in kick-off was necessitated by situations beyond our control. We must warn all clubs of the need to be professional enough, keeping intact, the good image of the league.

“We have zero tolerance for violence and any unsportsmanship conducts.

“Our matches will be streamed live and closely monitored as we will be sending Compliant Officers across all venues.”

We expect the best and a grand opening game. We are working hard to raise the standard”, he noted.

Dr. Abdulrahaman further said only the match at the Lafia City Stadium will take place on match-day one and that other games of the first week will be prosecuted on Saturday, 18th November, 2023, at the approved Stadiums for the Season which will be communicated in due course.

Dr. Abdulrahaman hinted that the NNL Board has sent its best wishes to all the Clubs as the Season begins on the 11th.

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Nigeria Premier League

Ogunmodede reflects on Emo Stars’ win over Abia Warriors

Ogunmodede

Emo Stars technical adviser Daniel Ogunmodede admitted his side was fortunate to secure a 3-2 victory over Abia Warriors in Ikenne on Wednesday.

Abia Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the first half, with goals from Ayodele Eziekel and Anthony Ijoma. However, Emo Stars responded with three goals from Olamilekan Adebayo, Jabbar Malik, and Franck Mawuena to clinch the win.

Ogunmodede acknowledged that his team had underestimated their opponents but managed to turn things around. “The game was tense and shocking in the first half on our home ground. Not every time you will be lucky against a great team we played against,” he said in the post-match interview.

“We underestimated the qualities of our opponent, and we were punished for it. But luckily, we identified the problem and readjusted to get the victory.”

Emo Stars will now aim to build on this win as they continue their campaign

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Nigeria Premier League

Kano Pillars eye maximum points in midweek showdown with Ikorodu City

Kano Pillars

Kano Pillars are determined to secure all three points in their upcoming fixture against Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The Sai Masu Gida will face Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos on Wednesday.

Usman Abdallah’s side is upbeat and focused ahead of the match, with the players in high spirits.

“Done and dusted with the shake-ups ahead of our NPFL25 Matchday 21 clash against Ikorodu City this Wednesday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos,” Kano Pillars wrote on X.

“The boys are in high spirits and determined to secure maximum points as we aim to continue our impressive run this season.”

Kano Pillars currently sit in eighth place on the league table with 28 points.

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Nigeria Premier League

Brown Ideye criticizes NPFL standards, calls for major improvements

Brown Ideye

Enyimba striker Brown Ideye has expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), stating that significant improvements are needed to elevate its standard.

Ideye, who rejoined the league in December 2024 after signing for Enyimba, has made appearances in both NPFL and CAF Confederation Cup matches, scoring two goals so far.

Sharing his thoughts following Enyimba’s 2-0 defeat to Kwara United in a rescheduled matchday 16 fixture in Ilorin, Ideye voiced concerns about the league’s challenges.

“The system is getting worse; the league is not improving. I feel like we have a long way to go,” Ideye remarked during an interview.

Despite enjoying his time at Enyimba, the former West Brom striker emphasized that much remains to be addressed in the league.

“My time at Enyimba has been wonderful, but there are a lot of things in the league that need improvement and haven’t changed yet,” he added.

On the poor performances of Nigerian clubs in CAF competitions, Ideye highlighted critical areas requiring attention.

“In terms of traveling, feeding, hotel accommodations, and player relaxation — it’s all bad. Nigerians are not ready for continental competitions. We need to put our house in order before going there, instead of embarrassing ourselves.”

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