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NPFL 2022/2023 Preview: Plateau United, Enyimba in heavyweight clash, Double header in Jos

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The action continues as the 2022/2023 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season promises another round of scintillating football action this weekend with a doubleheader in Jos and a crunchy North East derby in Maiduguri the pick of the encounters.

Nasarawa United and Plateau United are two of eleven teams in search of their first wins this season. Both sides will be involved in the doubleheader scheduled for the Zaria Road Stadium in Jos on Sunday.

Nasarawa United with zero points from their first two games will face an equally winless Akwa United in the day’s first game at 2pm before Stadium landlords Plateau United slug it out with Enyimba at 4pm.

Surprise group leaders Bendel Insurance have a trip to Ibadan to face Kwara United who are gradually coming around as the draw specialists. Having being held 0-0 in Ibadan by Gombe United on Match Day 1, the Harmony Warriors again battled stadium owners Shooting Stars to the same 0-0 score-line on Thursday. They now go in search of their first goal and win of the season against Monday Odigie’s Insurance on Sunday.

Group A’s final game for the weekend is a North Eastern derby which pits El-Kanemi Warriors against Gombe United in Maiduguri. El-Kanemi enjoyed a successful return of NPFL football to Maiduguri on Thursday, seeing off Nasarawa United and they have a chance to make it two home wins on the bounce against Gombe who have neither scored nor won after two matches.

A tantalising South West derby between Remo Stars and Shooting Stars which will see Gbenga Ogunbote return to Ikenne-Remo for the first time since he left the club in the summer has been moved to Wednesday.

Group B

Group’s surprise leaders Abia Warriors have a chance to make it three wins out of three when they host Lobi Stars in Umuahia on Sunday. Warriors head coach Erasmus Onuh has engineered a best possible start for the modest side but their quality will be put to a great test by Lobi who are coming off a win over Rangers in midweek.

The group’s other front runners Rivers United and Niger Tornadoes have a meeting in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Tornadoes’ defence is yet to be breached this term but that will come under serious scrutiny when they face defending champions Rivers United who are fiery at home.

Rangers International will be looking for their first point of the season when Sunshine Stars come calling to Awka with Abdu Maikaba already feeling some early pressure as fans of the Flying Antelopes grow unhappy with their disastrous start.

At the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa, two winless sides Bayelsa United and Wikki Tourists also come toe-to-toe looking for early-season redemption. While United have a point from their first home game, Wikki have none having lost their opening two matches.

Doma United are still grappling with life among the big boys and the newly promoted side will host Dakkada FC at the Pantami Stadium as they go in search of their first win of the season against Dakkada who have four points out of a possible six.

FULL MATCH DAY 3 FIXTURES (All Sunday, 4pm except otherwise stated)

Group A

Nasarawa United vs Akwa United – 2pm
Plateau United vs Enyimba FC
Kwara United vs Bendel Insurance
Remo Stars FC vs Shooting Stars – Wednesday
El-Kanemi Warriors vs Gombe United

Group B

Rangers Int’l vs Sunshine Stars
Abia Warriors vs Lobi Stars
Bayelsa United vs Wikki Tourists
Doma United vs Dakkada FC
Rivers United vs Niger Tornadoes – Tuesday

 

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Five More Nigerians Join Kayseri Women, Taking Turkish Move to Eight in Two Weeks

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Five Nigerian female footballers have officially completed moves to Turkish women’s football club Kayseri Kadın Futbol Kulübü, further strengthening the growing Nigerian presence at the club ahead of the new season.

Sports247 reports that the quintet comprises Judith Adaobi Okay, Precious Uju Obasi, Omosuyi Ayo, Mariam Abdulkadri and Roseline Ayatsea Hembafan, all of whom are set to begin a new chapter of their careers in Turkey.

Four of the players arrive from clubs in the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL), while one joins from the Ghana Women’s Premier League, highlighting the growing pathway from West African women’s football to the Turkish top flight.

The players will compete in the Turkish Women’s Super League (Kadın Futbol Süper Ligi), Turkey’s highest level of women’s football, as they look to establish themselves in the Central Anatolian city of Kayseri.

The new arrivals are expected to bring additional quality, competition and experience to Kayseri’s squad, with the Nigerian players determined to make an immediate impact and contribute to the club’s ambitions during the campaign.

The latest transfers also represent a significant milestone for those facilitating the players’ moves.

Just last week, three other Nigerian female footballers completed transfers to Kayseri Kadın Futbol Kulübü. The latest five signings take the number of Nigerian players moved to the Turkish club to eight in less than two weeks.

The remarkable sequence of transfers underlines the increasing connection between Nigerian women’s football and the Turkish league, while providing more opportunities for young Nigerian players to gain international experience.

For the players, the move represents more than a change of club. It provides an opportunity to compete in a new football environment, experience European-style competition and further develop their careers on the international stage.

Kayseri will also benefit from the influx of Nigerian talent as the club seeks to build a competitive squad capable of achieving strong results in the Turkish Women’s Super League.

With eight Nigerian players now joining the club within a remarkably short period, Kayseri is quickly becoming an important destination for Nigerian female footballers seeking opportunities abroad.

The quintet will now turn their attention to settling into their new environment, adapting to the demands of Turkish football and helping their new club achieve its targets.

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EuroMatch NPFL Explodes Into Action: Rangers Begin Title Defence as Matchday One Promises Fireworks

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The wait is over. The newly branded EuroMatch NPFL has entered the spotlight, and after Shooting Stars opened the 2026/27 campaign with a 2-1 victory over newly promoted Inter Lagos in Ibadan on Friday, attention now shifts to a packed Sunday programme that promises to set the tone for the new season.

The 2026/27 campaign is the first season of the EuroMatch NPFL, following the unveiling of EuroMatch as the league’s new title sponsor in Abuja on Wednesday. The three-year agreement is worth $7.5 million, with 60 per cent of the annual sponsorship proceeds earmarked for the 20 participating clubs.

Read Also: “We Stayed Together Until the End” — Sodiq Leads Shooting Stars to Winning Start Against Inter Lagos

That commercial breakthrough has added another layer of excitement to a season already carrying huge expectations, with the champions set to receive a record ₦1 billion prize.

Now the football must do the talking.

Defending champions Rangers International will begin their title defence against Katsina United at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, with kick-off scheduled for 4pm. The Flying Antelopes, champions of the 2025/26 campaign, have relocated their home fixtures to Abeokuta and will be determined to start their championship defence with three points. The fixture is also listed by the NPFL for live coverage on the official NPFL YouTube channel in partnership with Murphy Ben International.

For Rangers, the challenge is immediate: turn the excitement of being champions into the consistency required to defend the crown.

Katsina United, however, will have no interest in playing the role of supporting cast. A positive result against the champions on their opening day would immediately announce their own ambitions and provide one of the weekend’s biggest talking points.

Elsewhere, Bendel Insurance and Warri Wolves renew a South-South rivalry in Benin City. It is the type of opening-day encounter where intensity, physical battles and defensive discipline could dominate, with one moment of individual quality potentially deciding the contest.

In Ilorin, Kwara United welcome Kano Pillars in another intriguing fixture. Both sides possess experienced players capable of controlling the midfield, making the battle for possession and territory potentially decisive.

There is also considerable interest in Lagos, where Ikorodu City host newly promoted Ranchers Bees at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena. Ikorodu City have established themselves as one of the league’s most consistent sides, finishing fourth in each of the last two seasons, while Ranchers Bees arrive with the ambition and confidence that comes with promotion.

At the Pantami Stadium, another promoted side, Sporting Lagos, begin their campaign away to Doma United. Both clubs are returning to the top flight and will see the encounter as an opportunity to make an immediate statement.

Nine-time champions Enyimba also face an intriguing opening assignment away to Niger Tornadoes in Minna, while Rivers United host Plateau United in Port Harcourt.

Other fixtures will see Abia Warriors take on Kun Khalifat and Barau FC face Nasarawa United.

The full Sunday programme is:

Ikorodu City vs Ranchers Bees
Abia Warriors vs Kun Khalifat
Barau FC vs Nasarawa United
Bendel Insurance vs Warri Wolves
Rangers International vs Katsina United
Rivers United vs Plateau United
Kwara United vs Kano Pillars
Niger Tornadoes vs Enyimba
Doma United vs Sporting Lagos

All nine Sunday fixtures are scheduled for 4pm, according to the NPFL’s official fixture listing.

But beyond the individual fixtures, this opening weekend carries a much bigger message.

This is the first NPFL season under the EuroMatch title sponsorship, the first campaign following the league’s new digital streaming partnership with Murphy Ben International, and a season in which the NPFL is openly pursuing greater commercial value, wider visibility and stronger benefits for its clubs and players.

The league has effectively raised the stakes.

Now Rangers, Enyimba, Rivers United, Kano Pillars, Ikorodu City and the rest must respond on the pitch.

The EuroMatch NPFL has arrived.

The champions are defending. The challengers are coming. The promoted clubs want to make history.

And after Friday’s opening shock, Sunday could provide the first major statement of what promises to be one of the most closely watched NPFL seasons in years.

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