Doping: Elegbeleye lauds NPFL players for clean record News

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Doping: Elegbeleye lauds NPFL players for clean record

By Daily Sports Nigeria on September 26, 2025

Nigeria Premier Football League players have received commendation for maintaining a clean record after results of random drug tests returned negative, The PUNCH reports.

The National Anti-Doping Committee of Nigeria confirmed in a letter to the NPFL that all 32 urine samples collected during randomly selected fixtures in the ongoing 2025/26 season tested negative for banned substances.

Reacting to the development, NPFL chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye praised the players and said the outcome reflected positively on the league’s integrity.

“I am very satisfied with the outcome of the tests on our players carried out by the NADC and I want to commend our players for staying clean,” Elegbeleye said.

In the letter addressed to the league, Odo Okafor, deputy director and head of drug testing at the NADC, explained that the initiative was part of the agency’s ongoing effort to ensure fairness and integrity in Nigerian football in line with the World Anti-Doping Code.

“Out of the 32 urine sample tests carried out in randomly selected match fixtures, the whole results came out to be negative. This indicates that none of the randomly selected players is using substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. This is commendable,” Okafor wrote.

The anti-doping body confirmed it would still extend the exercise, with plans to conduct 16 additional tests across four randomly selected fixtures this season.

“In NADC’s continued effort and commitment to maintaining fair play, integrity and protecting the health of our sports men and women, we wish to carry out drug testing in some randomly selected matches in the 2025/26 league season,” the agency stated.

The NADC urged the cooperation of the NPFL to successfully carry out the exercise, a request Elegbeleye assured would be granted.

“The agency is going to receive total support from the NPFL to ensure another successful round of testing,” he added.

The NPFL is expected to work closely with the NADC in the new season as the league looks to strengthen its reputation for clean competition.

Source Punch Ng

Posted September 26, 2025