The 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season is set to kick off on 9 September, with defending champions Enyimba International drawn to begin their title defence against the high-flying Bendel Insurance.
The matchday 1 fixtures were released by the interim management committee (IMC) of the NPFL on Tuesday, and it sees the People’s Elephant starting with a tasty clash against the Benin Arsenal.
Already dumped out of the CAF Champions League unceremoniously, Enyimba will be looking to build on their remarkable grip on the domestic scene, which has seen them win a record-breaking nine titles.
For two-time champions, Bendel Insurance, they have shown great promise since gaining promotion back to the elite cadre and would be hoping to dethrone Enyimba this season possibly.
They remarkably went unbeaten throughout the abridged league season before capitulating in the Super Six.
The Benin-based club will be looking to cause an upset against Enyimba in Aba and get their season off to a winning start.
The NPFL is expected to be a closely contested affair this season, with a number of teams capable of winning the title.
Enyimba will be the favourites, but they will face stiff competition from the likes of Rivers United, Plateau United, and Akwa United.
ALSO READ: Enyimba, Remo Stars suffer early exits from CAF Champions League
The other matchday 1 fixtures are as follows:
Bayelsa United vs. Akwa United
Shooting Stars vs. Plateau United
Abia Warriors vs. Niger Tornadoes
Rivers United vs. Remo Stars
Katsina United vs. Kwara United
Sunshine Stars vs. Kano Pillars
Heartland vs. Lobi Stars
Sporting Lagos vs. Gombe United
Rangers United vs. Doma United
In addition to the matchday 1 fixtures, the IMC also announced that, unlike last season, the league will be played in a straight league format.
This means that each team will play the other team twice, once at home and once away.
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