NPFL announces August 22 new season kick-off date

In its resolve to sustain the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) round of calendar established in the recently concluded season, the Board on Friday announced that the 2025/26 season will commence on August 22, 2025and end on May 24, 2026.

At a review of the last season statistics and projection for the new season, Chairman of the NPFL,  Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye said the league is determined to establish a tradional period for the competition to enable clubs, players, match officials and scouts plan their own calendar.

He recalled that the board kept to its calendar for the last season which began on August 31, 2024, and concluded on May 25, 2025.

“This is the first time in many years, perhaps since the start of the new era Nigeria Premier Football League in 2005, (20 years) that a date for kick-off and ending will be faithfully implemented. That is a commitment we made and a promise delivered”, the NPFL Chairman stated.

He continued by declaring that “Today, we are also here to announce that the 2025/26 season will be commencing on August 22, 2025 and will be completed on May 24, 2026. This is to maintain a calendar we have now established from the last season”.

 SUMMARY OF STATS FOR THE 2024/25 SEASON

He said the season was remarkable in the emergence of Remo Stars as the champions with three matches to spare after defeating Niger Tornadoes on Matchday 35 on April 27.

Giving a breakdown of numbers, he noted that of the total of 380 games, there were 286 wins and 94 were drawn with a total of 784 goals scored.

Further breakdown shows that there were 244 home wins and 42 away wins with

552 goals scored at home and 232 scored by visiting teams out of which 60 were from the penalty spot. 16 penalties were missed, bringing total penalties awarded to 76. In all 13 of the goals were own goals and four  hat trick.

On disciplinary measures, the league chairman said that a total of 1380 yellow cards were issued while 56 expulsion were recorded during the season.

Also in the concluded season, Nasarawa United’s Yusuf Anas, topped the goal scorers chart with 18 goals and was followed by veteran Rabiu Ali of Kano Pillars with 13 goals and Anthony Ijoma of Abia Warriors came 3rd with 12 goals.

Elegbeleye concluded by disclosing that the NPFL screened the highest ever number of the domestic league on television with 188 games aired on Startimes while Propel Sports Africa streamed over 200 fixtures on the OTT viewing platform globally.