The NPFL returns for a new season
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) kicks off for the 2026/27 season on Friday, August 28, 2026.
The season’s campaign is set to kick off with Oyo State‘s Shooting Stars S.C. against the newly promoted Inter Lagos FC as the standalone curtain-raiser on Friday at the Lekan Salami Stadium, popularly known as Adamasingba Stadium, at 4:00 p.m.
The other fixtures for match day 1 will take place on Sunday, August 30, 2026, across the country.
The Oluyole Warriors aim to start strong and make a statement in front of an excited home crowd in this highly anticipated season opener after mutually parting ways with former coach Nurudeen Aweroro.
The club’s management newly appointed veteran tactician Salisu Yusuf as head coach just days ago, throwing him straight into the fire to assess his squad before matching up against Inter Lagos and preparing for a massive CAF Confederation Cup clash against CS Sfaxien later this year.
The 3SC fell short of the championship title and a Champions League place after finishing third on the NPFL table in the previous season.
Inter Lagos FC will be looking to announce their arrival on their top-flight debut. The newly promoted top-flight debutants have been camping at the Ilaji Resort to prepare for the heavy physical demands of the NPFL.
Head Coach Shola Ogundogba expressed extreme confidence in his team’s environment and setup: “It’s a good atmosphere. I mean, and there’s good understanding between Ilaji and Inter Lagos… look at the facility. So impressive. So when you have all these things, this is good for preseason.”
The defending champions, Enugu Rangers, will battle it out against Katsina United in their home base on Sunday to establish their re-dominance and begin their title defence.
The league will be welcoming new teams such as Doma United FC, Inter Lagos FC, Ranchers Bees, and Sporting Lagos. The league will also be missing four teams who finished in the relegation zone last season. Remo Stars, the 2024/25 NPFL Champions, will be amongst the teams whose presence will be missed in the NPFL this season.
The 38-match calendar is structured to run from late August until May 30, 2027. There will be a mid-season recess whereby the league will pause from December 23, 2026, to January 6, 2027, following match day 19.
This window overlaps with the mid-season player registration period. The President Federation Cup, known as the Domestic Cup, is integrated smoothly into the calendar, with regional state playoffs scheduled to commence in early February 2027.
The stakes have never been higher as the Interim Management Committee (IMC) confirmed that the winner of the 2026/2027 season will walk away with a record-breaking ₦1 billion championship purse.
In a bid to solve long-standing domestic viewership challenges, the NPFL, in partnership with M International, is introducing free live-streamed matches on YouTube alongside traditional TV channels.
Football fans can follow live action for free from anywhere globally. This shift aims to drive commercial sponsorships, boost club brand valuation, and bring the local game closer to millions of digital-first fans.