2024/2025 NPFL Starting Date and Fixtures

The 2024–25 Nigeria Premier Football League season will get off on Saturday, August 31, with the defending champions, Enugu Rangers, facing off against El-Kanemi Warriors, a newly promoted team and the winners of the President Federation Cup.

At Tuesday's Annual General Meeting of the NPFL board and club owners in Abuja, the teams agreed on a 38-game league structure and a suggested start date of August 31 for the next season. They also set matchday one fixture for the upcoming season.

Gbenga Elegbeleye, chairman of the NPFL board, also revealed that the league's prize money has been doubled to N200 million in preparation for next season.

The remaining nine matches from the first matchday will be contested the weekend after the curtain raiser in Enugu.

Those games will include the runners-up from the previous season. In other matches, Remo Stars will go to Abia Warriors, Akwa United will visit Lobi Stars, Bendel Insurance will face Rivers United, and Bayelsa United will visit Sunshine Stars.

On the one hand, Beyond Limits will play their home league debut against nine-time winner Enyimba; on the other, newly promoted side Ikorodu City will play their first away match in the NPFL against Kano Pillars in Kano. In Lafia, Nasarawa United will face Shooting Stars as part of their comeback schedule.

Plateau United will play Katsina United at the New Jos Stadium, where Enugu Rangers were champions last season. At the same time, Kwara United will host Niger Tornadoes in a north-central rivalry, among other events.

Okey Kpalukwu, general manager of Rivers United and chairman of the NPFL club owners, has emphasized the need to start the league on August 31 to avoid fixture congestion. Four teams would be playing on the continent, and the clubs eagerly await the entire schedule of games.

"There is no way we will not have such conflicts but all we need is to start earlier. We have agreed to start this league on August 31. That is quite early enough believing that the matches that will be rescheduled will be played in the midweek. Considering the President Federation Cup, if we start that early too, we won't have any problem of fixtures congestion," Kpalukwu told journalists in Abuja.

Champions Remo Stars and Enugu Rangers will compete for a spot in the CAF Champions League group stages. At the same time, El-Kanemi Warriors and Enyimba will represent the nation in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Here is the complete Matchday 1 fixtures

• Lobi Stars vs. Akwa United
• Abia Warriors vs. Remo Stars
• Beyond Limits vs. Enyimba
• Bendel Insurance vs. Rivers United
• Kano Pillars vs. Ikorodu City
• Sunshine Stars vs. Bayelsa United
• Nasarawa United vs. Shooting Stars
• Plateau United vs. Katsina United
• Kwara United vs. Niger Tornadoes

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