By Daily Sports Nigeria on July 17, 2024

The winner of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League will get improved prize money of N200m, a 33.3 per cent increase from last season’s N150m, The PUNCH reports.

Chairman of the NPFL board, Gbenga Elegbeleye, announced the increment after the Annual General Meeting of the board and club owners on Tuesday in Abuja, where the clubs also agreed on the August 31 proposed kick-off date for the new season, as well as a 38-game format.

Match-day one fixtures for the season were also released, with reigning champions Enugu Rangers taking on President Federation Cup champions El-Kanemi Warriors in the first game of the season on Saturday, August 31.

Arising from the meeting, Elegbeleye announced that the league body has increased the prize money.

“When we came on board, we discovered that the prize money of the league winner was N50m which they never got. We promised to increase and we paid N100m in our first season and N150m last season,” Elegbeleye said.

“Next season the winner will get 200m and the award of N1m each to the best player and coach is to encourage the players and coaches.

“We want Nigeria’s football system to have a new look for people to have confidence in us, we want to inject money into the league so that players will not run to smaller countries to start looking for clubs to play for.

“We want them to stay at home so our best legs will be here, we will pay them well and we can have more players in the Super Eagles from the league.”

Enugu Rangers coach Fidelis Ilechukwu was awarded the coach of the season by the NPFL board.

After the season’s curtain raiser in Enugu on August 31, the nine other match-day one fixtures will be played the following weekend.

Those fixtures will see last season’s runners-up Remo Stars make a trip to Abia Warriors, Lobi Stars welcome Akwa United, Bendel Insurance take on Rivers United and Sunshine Stars play host to Bayelsa United.

Newly promoted side Ikorodu City will begin life in the NPFL with an away fixture against Kano Pillars in Kano, while Beyond Limits were handed top-flight home debut against nine-time champions Enyimba. Nasarawa United will also mark their return with a date against Shooting Stars in Lafia.

Other fixtures will see Kwara United welcome Niger Tornadoes in a North-Central derby, while Plateau United will host Katsina United at the New Jos Stadium, where Enugu Rangers were crowned last season.

Source Punch Ng

Posted July 17, 2024

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