SEVERAL clubs, including Enugu Rangers and Lobi Stars, will have to play their home matches away from home in the 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League season.
The Interim Management Committee, the caretaker body of the league, has rejected the home grounds of these clubs, along with those of Kwara United, Niger Tornadoes and Nasarawa United, for not meeting club licensing requirements.
The IMC has thus approved temporary home grounds for these clubs, from where they will play host to away opponents during the abridged season, which will last from January 8 to May.
Rangers will play home games at Awka City Stadium in neighbouring Anambra State, while Nasarawa United will ‘host’ teams at the New Jos Township Stadium in Plateau State, which is just over 200 kilometres from their regular Lafia home.
Kwara United will travel about 180 kilometres from their Ilorin base to Ibadan to play ‘home’ games at the Lekan Salami Stadium.
Lobi Stars will also play at the New Jos Township Stadium, which is about 300km from their Makurdi base, with Niger Tornadoes travelling just over 200km from their Minna base to Kaduna to use the Ahmadu Bello Stadium.
The NPFL’s 20 teams have been split into two groups in a special arrangement to speed up the season after the take-off was delayed for six months.
The top three teams from each group will face off in play-offs to determine the champions.
