By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 1, 2025

Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye, is optimistic that the Nigerian topflight could become the best league in Africa, following the strides of the league board in the last three seasons, The PUNCH reports.

Currently ranked 12th in Africa based on the five-year ranking by the Confederation of African Football to determine the number of clubs that each member association may enter its club football competitions, the NPFL has witnessed some structural stability in recent years.

Buoyed by the climax of the 2024/25 season, which has seen Remo Stars clinch their first-ever title with three games to go, the NPFL board chairman said they are poised to end the season perfectly.

“My message to the clubs and Nigerians is that we are up to the task. We will run a seamless and very smooth league till the last matchday. I am happy Nigerians are believing and appreciating what we are doing. I will say our best is yet to come, we will continue to improve until we give Nigeria the best league in Africa,” Elegbeleye said during a radio interview.

In the last three seasons, the league has also witnessed an increase in its prize money as well as a stable August to May calendar.

“We promised when we started three years ago that we would pay the winner N100m and we did. Last season, we paid N150m and this season we said we are going to pay N200m and we are going to do that. We want to be going up geometrically. The more we improve, the more marketable the league becomes,” Elegbeleye said.

“What we have done is to stick with the calendar of the whole world. We want to match Europe so that our players who really want to go for trials during the off-season will be able to, without looking like they absconded from their clubs. When they go, the teams will be able to get replacements easily,” Elegbeleye added.

Based on CAF’s current ranking, Nigeria will have two teams each in the preliminary rounds of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, but Elegbeleye is worried by the inability of Nigerian clubs to dominate Africa.

“My major concern now is that our clubs are going to the continent and not doing well. The time has come for us to address that headlong and that is the next target I am facing. You don’t win the league and sell off your best players after winning.

Enyimba’s two CAF Champions League titles in 2003 and 2004 remain the best outing by a Nigerian team in the competition.

To mirror the decline of Nigerian teams in Africa, Enyimba were knocked out in the group stages of this season’s CAF Confederation Cup – the second-tier competition.

Source Punch Ng

Posted May 1, 2025

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