THERE will be two groups of 10 clubs each in the 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League season, according to the Interim Management Committee.
The draw for the abridged season was held today, with the league set to kick off on January 8 and end in May.
The 2021/2022 NPFL season ended in July with Rivers United emerging champions, but the take-off of the new campaign has been held off for five months due to crisis.
The organising body of the NPFL, the League Management Company, was dissolved and the caretaker IMC was set up in its place by the sports ministry.
In today’s draw, last season’s runners-up Plateau United were placed in Group A alongside Enyimba, Remo Stars, Kwara United, Akwa United and Shooting Stars.
Also in Group A are the newly promoted Bendel Insurance and El-Kanemi Warriors.
Champions Rivers United lead the cast in Group B where Enugu Rangers, Lobi Stars, Abia Warriors, Sunshine Stars and Dakkada will also be playing.
Newcomers Bayelsa United and Doma United are also in Group A.
A play-off between the two groups’ top teams will determine the champions of the league.
IMC Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye has warned the clubs that violence will not be tolerated, with severe sanctions to be meted out to erring sides.
“Clubs have been informed to shun every act of violence during the course of the league,” he said during the draw ceremony in Abuja.
“Any club which engages in violent conducts will not be sanctioned with N500,000.00 as was the case in the past, but three points will be deducted as punishment.
“We know what it means to have three points deducted from points already earned by a club in the league.”
The management of several clubs had kicked against the abridged format but the IMC stuck to its guns and received the backing of the Nigeria Football Federation.
NPFL groupings
GROUP A
Kwara United
Nasarawa United
Plateau United
Gombe United
El-Kanemi Warriors
Enyimba
Akwa United
Bendel Insurance
Shooting Stars
Remo Stars
GROUP B
Niger Tornadoes
Doma United
Wikki Tourists
Lobi Stars
Rivers United
Abia Warriors
Dakkada
Rangers
Sunshine Stars
Bayelsa United
Comments are closed.