NFF President warns NPFL against past mistakes, confirms full season schedule
President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau has issued a stern warning to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to avoid repeating last season’s mistakes.
Amidst recent speculation that the upcoming 2024/2025 NPFL season might adopt an abridged format due to financial difficulties faced by some teams, Gusau has officially confirmed that the league will maintain its standard full 38-match schedule for each club.
This decision was reached at the Annual General Meeting of the league body and club owners held on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The meeting resolved to stick with the full-season format, dismissing any plans for an abridged version.
Gusau emphasised the importance of adhering to the fixture schedule to prevent the issues encountered last season. “Last season we had challenges with fixtures. We have to keep the fixtures. You shouldn’t make the fixtures public until everything is in order. We must keep to it. There shouldn’t be accumulated fixtures again. No postponement of matches,” he stated.
He also highlighted the need to consider other competitions, such as the Federation Cup, when creating the fixture list to avoid match congestion. “When drawing up the fixtures, you must take into consideration other competitions like the Federation Cup. With your cooperation, we will achieve this. By the grace of God, we would make a lot of changes,” Gusau added.
With these directives, the NFF aims to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted season, enhancing the overall quality and reliability of the NPFL.
